Dutch, More or Less: Contemporary Architecture, Design and Digital CultureDutch, More or Less: Contemporary Architecture, Design and Digital Culture

For the exhibition Dutch, More or Less, Hackers & Designers (H&D) and Ren Loren Britton present a patchwork that explores the ‘seams’ of technological collaboration practices. They see possibilities for connection precisely along the seams, frayed edges and stitches where communities and technologies meet or overlap. They embrace the imperfection, the loose ends, and the shared authorship that arise there.

The seams and connections of the installation’s title can be interpreted both literally and figuratively. After all, the work is a collection of stitched-together textile pieces and Wi-Fi modules that enable visitors to connect to a local wireless network. At the same time, this patchwork also serves as a metaphor for an alternative approach to technology. It reflects its creators’ commitment to the principles of free, open-source software. In contrast to the current impersonal, individualistic applications of sleekly designed digital technology, H&D and Britton propose a collective approach to designing, making and using technology that can be unfinished, damaged or messy.

During your visit to Dutch, More or Less, you can contribute to the patchwork by scanning the QR code, connecting and leaving your own message on the digital paper.

The work connecting through seams is an expansion and continuation of H&D’s shared practice. The concept and design are by Ren Loren Britton, Anja Groten and Pernilla Manjula Philip, with further development by Heerko van der Kooij.

The self-directed Hackers & Designers collective works at the intersection of technology, design, visual arts and education. H&D encourages exchange and collaboration within a global network of hackers, designers, artists and researchers who critically question the monoculture and monopolies of digital platforms and tools. Employing intersectional transfeminist principles, the collective fosters collaborations that transcend differences in age, gender, race, mobility and ability, building a community committed to possible futures based on equality.

A transdisciplinary artist and designer who works on transfeminism, technology and disability justice, Ren Loren Britton explores how we can reimagine bodies, technologies and societal systems by asking critical questions about accessibility and inequality.