-1 Séances #2: Desire&Technology Reading Group
In a world driven by algorithms, what does desire look like? How might the concepts of ‘desire’ and ‘technology’ change the way we view our relationships with ourselves, with others, and with the wider environment? In the second session of –1 Séances: Desire & Technology, the six-part reading and discussion series by –1 Digital Lab, we will delve deeper into the theme: Techno-logics of Desire.
30 April 2026 16:30 - 17:30
In this session, Sara Baranzoni and Paolo Vignola, the philosophers and co-founders of the magazine La Deleuziana, explore the dichotomy between desire and technology in contemporary thought. In schools of thought and philosophy where technology is central, matters such as desire quickly fade into the background. However, within the philosophy of desire, where desire is considered a radical and fundamental force, technology is merely scenery; something that surrounds desire rather than actively shaping it.
Drawing on Bernard Stiegler’s On Pharmacology and Félix Guattari’s Machinic Heterogenesis, Vignola and Baranzoni seek a way out of this dichotomy. This leads them to the concept of ‘libidinal ecology’, which offers a vision of new ways of desiring in a society characterised by automation and perhaps ever-decreasing desire. The session is open to anyone who is curious, regardless of their prior knowledge of philosophy or theory. It will be followed by a closed session for the Reading Group.
About –1 Digital Lab and –1 Séances
–1 Digital Lab is the dynamic lab and exhibition space located in the basement of the Nieuwe Instituut, where local and international digital artists and designers develop and present their work exploring urgent issues in digital culture. In 2026, –1 Digital Lab will explore the challenging intersection of technology and desire through the six-part reading and discussion series –1 Séances: Desire & Technology.
Language: English | Location: Nieuwe Instituut (Online) | Ticket price: Free | Limited capacity
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