practices in the age of algorithmic reprediction
Algologs = a 1 + 1 day dialog with algorithmic practices. This two-day event is an extention of Algolit, a workgroup where text-based practices and algorithms meet. Algologs is part of a series of occurances meant to open up the usually Brussels-based Algolit meetings by inviting external speakers, presenters and participants to join the conversation. During Algologs, we will increase the % of engagement with everyday algorithms.
On Friday evening we explore a multiplication of Algoliterary ways of converting words to numbers x infrapunctural reliefs x bookscanner pipelines x “We Are Going to Take Over the World, One Robot at a Time”. Together we will log algorithmic attitudes, voices and practices.
The presentations on Friday are followed by an Algolit session on Saturday, where we will host a collective dive into the clustering techniques of word-embeddings. We propose to look at a specific implementation of word-embeddings step-by-step, to use it as a source for recipies for small (code or non-code based) experiments.
Calling all extra-amateurs, protoprofessionals and circumstantial algologgers.
Algolit is a Brussels-based group of artists, designers, programmers and activists that meet once a month to write textual code experiments together.
Cristina Cochior is a Rotterdam-based researcher, designer and enthusiast media aggregator who is currently interested in algorithmic stress relief.
the XPUB practitioners are currently working on OuNuPo: the 5th Special Issue with and around bookscanner culture. XPUB is the Experimental Publishing master at the Piet Zwart Institute.
Marloes de Valk is a software artist and writer in the post-despair stage of coping with the threat of global warming and being spied on by the devices surrounding her.
Program
Friday 16th of March, 19:00 - 21:30+
Introductions, infrapunctures, bookscanner samples, big data promises
18:45 - 19:00 doors are open
19:00 - 19:20 Algoliterary introductions
19:20 - 19:40 Infrapunctures
19:40 - 19:50 --BREAK--
19:50 - 21:00 XPUB bookscanner pipelines
21:00 - 21:30 “We Are Going to Take Over the World, One Robot at a Time”
21:30 onwards Drinks & Discussion
Saturday 17th of March, 10:00 - 18:00
Algolit session: From words to numbers through word-embeddings
This session is special edition and part of a longer timeline of monthly Algolit gatherings organised by Constant in the WTC25 in Brussels. In 2018 Algolit decided to open the sessions, to allow incisive jump-in jump-out participation. More information & material around Algolit can be found on algolit.net.
We will start the day with going step-by-step through the script word2vec_basic.py, and slowly slide into both code-based and non-code based experiments, depending on what the attendants are inclined towards. This work session is a moment to try things out yourself.
Note to attendants: It would be good to bring a laptop. Not per se for the reason of working with code or digital tools (we are big enthusiasts of non-coding experiments!), but we usually take notes collectively or look at references. For that reason a laptop is a nice companion!
If you are interested to attend this session, please email info@varia.zone at any point in advance.
Location
Varia - Gouwstraat 3, Rotterdam
varia.zone
Links to previous exercises around these topics
- Algoliterary Encounters, a multi-day event in November 2017 around machine learning & word-embeddings with guided tours, presented tools, two lectures and two workshops.
- word2vec_basic.py, step-by-step
- You should know a word by the compant it keeps, graphs generated by word2vec
- Crowd Embeddings, a first-step into a case study of applied word-embeddings
The research project of Cristina Cochior is kindly supported by 
.