A Week in Collapsonomics
A Week in Collapsonomics
Last week was an interesting one in the field of Collapsonomics. There where quite a few meet ups around this space the last week, and it has been an insightful way to look at the state of the economy and peoples approaches to it. I’m interested in this space, particularly how it relates to the future of money research I was involved with at the RCA, I get the feeling that the projects would be very different had they been done in today's climate (what a difference a year makes).
The First meet up was Spacemakers / Silicon Hackney. The focus was on the use of empty spaces. I’ve been following this for a while, I know Dougald and some of the other gang of collapsonomics are interested in re-using empty spaces, such as old Woolworth's stores. Another idea that has emerged has been Gaia’s Intern Commune. The meet up was a good place to see what others are thinking in this space. Also it was a joint meet up with the Silicon Hackney so was able to have a few good chats in the pub afterwards around social innovation.
Wednesday was The Long Doom as part of Long now London, a fascinating talk by Dougald. Some of the issues touched upon came up in his Economic Chemotherapy at the Temporary School, and there where some very interesting ideas based around what happens when long term decline replaces long term growth. It was good that Dougald wasn't talking from a pessimistic point of view. Instead the focus was on what he says is, “the end of the world as we know it, isn't necessary the end of the world.” The other part that struck me was the issue that luxuries are what will survive, particularly in reference to markets. Right now they are a luxury thing, but it’s history is that it was the main space for exchanging food, goods and ideas.
Final big event was the talk / round table with John Loder at the School of Everything offices. Interesting (and at times, a lot of heavy information) to process in terms of how we got into this mess (from the point of view of the economy, banking, mathematics). There was a lot of discussion around the way that the risk the banks where taking risks based on maths that shouldn’t work but seemed to (until it all went wrong). I have a lot of notes on this to write up, but being able to deconstruct the banking risk methodology as wrong, quote of the evening has to be “Bankers are massively incentivised to sell asynchronous crap.” Again, great chats emerging in the pub afterwards, and it was good to have a chance to talk through some of the complexities with someone well connected in the financial system.
In this space, I am interested in how we will change our everyday perceptions of financial systems, particularly in the moments where it is (or seems to be) on the verge of collapse. I think a lot of the time it feels very distant in terms of how we can be connected to a system that itself feels so fragile. The money project at the RCA, and particularly my Ethical Contract Trading project was about in one way, of visualising and creating a physical connection with complex economics. I’m interested in what new forms of financial experiences may emerge and are emerging during times of economic contraction.
Or then again, maybe we should all join the Crimson Permanent Assurance?
Last week was an interesting one in the field of Collapsonomics. There where quite a few meet ups around this space the last week, and it has been an insightful way to look at the state of the economy and peoples approaches to it. I’m interested in this space, particularly how it relates to the future of money research I was involved with at the RCA, I get the feeling that the projects would be very different had they been done in today's climate (what a difference a year makes).
The First meet up was Spacemakers / Silicon Hackney. The focus was on the use of empty spaces. I’ve been following this for a while, I know Dougald and some of the other gang of collapsonomics are interested in re-using empty spaces, such as old Woolworth's stores. Another idea that has emerged has been Gaia’s Intern Commune. The meet up was a good place to see what others are thinking in this space. Also it was a joint meet up with the Silicon Hackney so was able to have a few good chats in the pub afterwards around social innovation.
Wednesday was The Long Doom as part of Long now London, a fascinating talk by Dougald. Some of the issues touched upon came up in his Economic Chemotherapy at the Temporary School, and there where some very interesting ideas based around what happens when long term decline replaces long term growth. It was good that Dougald wasn't talking from a pessimistic point of view. Instead the focus was on what he says is, “the end of the world as we know it, isn't necessary the end of the world.” The other part that struck me was the issue that luxuries are what will survive, particularly in reference to markets. Right now they are a luxury thing, but it’s history is that it was the main space for exchanging food, goods and ideas.
Final big event was the talk / round table with John Loder at the School of Everything offices. Interesting (and at times, a lot of heavy information) to process in terms of how we got into this mess (from the point of view of the economy, banking, mathematics). There was a lot of discussion around the way that the risk the banks where taking risks based on maths that shouldn’t work but seemed to (until it all went wrong). I have a lot of notes on this to write up, but being able to deconstruct the banking risk methodology as wrong, quote of the evening has to be “Bankers are massively incentivised to sell asynchronous crap.” Again, great chats emerging in the pub afterwards, and it was good to have a chance to talk through some of the complexities with someone well connected in the financial system.
In this space, I am interested in how we will change our everyday perceptions of financial systems, particularly in the moments where it is (or seems to be) on the verge of collapse. I think a lot of the time it feels very distant in terms of how we can be connected to a system that itself feels so fragile. The money project at the RCA, and particularly my Ethical Contract Trading project was about in one way, of visualising and creating a physical connection with complex economics. I’m interested in what new forms of financial experiences may emerge and are emerging during times of economic contraction.
Or then again, maybe we should all join the Crimson Permanent Assurance?
Labels: collapsonomics, meetups
posted by andy broomfield at 11:10 PM
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