Arse Elektronika 2008 call for papers: "Do Androids Sleep With Electric Sheep?"

Vienna net-art-pranksters Monochrom have just posted their annual call-for-submissions for Arse Elektronika, "Do Androids Sleep with Electric Sheep? Critical Perspectives on Sexuality and Pornography in Science and Social Fiction."

Arse Elektronika 2008 -- "Do Androids Sleep with Electric Sheep?" -- will take place at San Francisco's Ft. Mason Center. September 25 thru 28, 2008.

Taking up where the successful conference in autumn 2007 left off, this year's Arse Elektronika stands under the motto "future" -- and the ways in which the present sees itself reflected in it. Maintaining a broadened perspective on technical development and technology while also putting special emphasis on its social implementation, this year's conference focuses on Science and Social Fiction.

The genre of the "fantastic" is especially well suited to the investigation of the touchy area of sexuality and pornography: actual and assumed developments are frequently depicted positively and approvingly, but just as often with dystopian admonishment. Here the classic, and continuingly valid, themes of modernism represent a clear link between the two aspects: questions of science, research and technologization are of interest, as is the complex surrounding urbanism, artificiality and control (or the loss of control). Depictions of the future, irregardless of the form they take, always address the present as well. Imaginations of the fantastic and the nightmarish give rise to a thematic overlapping of the exotic, the alienating and, of course, the pornographic/sexual as well.

In order to intelligently contextualize the abundance of queries that are involved here, this year's conference will be structured around three day-long discussion panels, each devoted to a specific theme. The impossibility of fitting many of these issues and relationships into such neat categorizations is not only accepted, but also encouraged.

Link

[#1 posted by jbang , March 31, 2008 4:09 AM]

I love Arse Elektronica, last year had some great coverage around the place.

On a grammar nazi note: is "irregardless" through the net? It still makes me wince.

[#2 posted by Jeff , March 31, 2008 5:17 AM]

C.D., in your book Down and Out, you examine the issue of future sex/realationships. Has your stuff be discussed by Arse Eledtronica? I'm specifically talking about the issue of large age differences between sex partners. I know Heinlein raised this issue also.

[#3 posted by Thibeth , March 31, 2008 6:00 AM]

"Do Androids Sleep With Electric Sheep"

That sentence still reminds me of that precious 90's Mac-game called Marathon.
It was quite avant-garde for a shooter of its time, and had a wonderful and complicated story.
In the game you somehow figure out that you're an android.
In last part of the trilogy there were a few levels called 'Electric Sheep' or something.

Good old times.

[#4 posted by Takuan , March 31, 2008 6:59 AM]

do AIs have souls? Is sex between humans and AIs the next thing the religions will glom on to making money at by forbidding?

[#5 posted by Kit10inDublin , March 31, 2008 7:16 AM]

Tis a pity they're not called Feck! Arse! Girls! Elektronika.

[#6 posted by Keneke , March 31, 2008 10:13 AM]

Keneke's Corollary to Godwin's Law:

Use of the word "irregardless" invalidates the argument, regardless of content.

Keneke's Godellian Corollary to Godwin's Law:

Use of the word "irregardless" invalidates the argument, irregardless of content.

[#7 posted by Antinous , March 31, 2008 12:21 PM]

do AIs have souls?

Is there anything that's not formed from primordial consciousness?

[#8 posted by Jeff , March 31, 2008 12:28 PM]

Antinous: In the beginning(s) there was/is the white-hot hole of creation, the font out of which the great god Chaos gives form to energy. All things are entangled, all things are soul. At least that's my theory.

[#9 posted by Tom , March 31, 2008 1:50 PM]

I'm still trying to figure out if humans have souls.