Evental Urbanism - Affects, Interfaces, Events

Global cities of today transform according to affective processes (Thrift 2004). These processes relate to the mode of capitalist production, yet they are examples of non-representational events (Anderson & Harrison 2010) that cannot be pre-figured or pre-planned. Through participatory observations, the project analyzes how affective interfaces contribute to an evental urbanism. Interfaces are analyzed in 1) architecture and urban design; architects and designers program the city as interfaces for affective sensation and bodily engagement. Projects like the High Line and Superkilen and much temporary urban design are examples of how affective spatial production is anticipated in the aesthetics of the design and 2) street culture and urban activism in which people and places are brought together in temporary organizations (Oswalt et al. 2013). Activism and urban culture differ from the representational mode of high, institutionalized culture as they occur as affective situations in which the viewer becomes a productive and performing participant (Iveson 2013). The assumption is that evental urbanism cannot be reduced to its partial components. Rather it is an ontogenetic event (Massumi 2009, 2011) processing within and beyond the city.
The subproject Evental Urbanism is part of the FKK funded project Affects, Interfaces, Events by Thomsen, Bodil Marie Stavning (Approving authority)
Project description: Affects, Interfaces, Events, AIE
We are witnessing a need within the Humanities to rethink existing theoretical and analytic frameworks based primarily on representation, narration and linguistics to better accommodate bodily sensations, cultural performativity and social networks. This need has intensified with the proliferation of digital technology and global media events. The project Affects, Interfaces, Events proposes a new frame for studying the impact of real-time interface events on an affective level of experience.
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Projektet ‘Affects, Interfaces, Events’ undersøger en spontan (kropslig) affektiv involvering i interfaces mellem mennesker og digital teknologi. Ordet affekt betegner siden 1600-tallet (Spinozas Etik, 1678) den påvirkning, der opstår i mødet med noget udefrakommende, og som har indflydelse på den måde, vi sanser og erfarer verden på – også uden at man er sig det bevidst. Det er projektets tese, at digitale interfaces affektivt påvirker vores sansning og erfaring af verden og af hinanden og at interfaces, hvori affektiv sansning spiller en betydelig relationel rolle over tid, erstatter tidligere former for tidslig og rumlig repræsentation og organisering. Interface-affekter mærkes ikke blot i kunstneriske og kommunikativt tilrettelagte begivenheder. Gode eksempler på begivenheder, der involverer (ofte ustyrlige former for) affekt, er også børsers op- og nedture i forlængelse af algoritmiske handlers ’Flash Crashes’, i mobiliseringer såsom ’Activist Flash Mobs’ (i.e. Occupy Wall Street) og i designet af mobile ’Augmented Reality’-teknologier, der udvider oplevelsen af fysiske steder med digitale lag af information. Projektet undersøger teoretisk, metodisk og analytisk, hvordan dette skifte fra repræsentation til affekt, fra værk til begivenhed, fra en audiovisuel og tekstlig kulturel organisering til multi-sensoriske organiseringer gennem digitale interfaces, afføder andre former for erfaringsdannelse, kommunikation og handlingsrum.
Participants: 
Thomsen, Bodil Marie Stavning (Approving authority)
Reestorff, Camilla Møhring (Project participant)
Kofoed, Jette (Project participant)
Markussen, Thomas, Arkitektskolen i Aarhus, AAA, Denmark (Project participant)
Fritsch, Jonas, IT-Universitetet, Denmark (Project participant)
Samson, Kristine , Roskilde Universitet, Denmark (Project participant)
Andreasen, Torsten Arni Caleb, Københavns Universitet, Denmark (Project participant)