Object America Observational Practices through Speculation IB

1. Essay of approx 5 pages synthesizing process and outcomes of observ ation with readings. Pull from at least five sources (panel and readings).
2. Create an abstract of your essay: 1 page OBJECT AMERICA Submission:
Distillation of paper with documentation of your object through three views.Friday December 1
Introduction. Exploration & Analysis of Observational Methods: Figures of Speculation 12pm-2.00pm | Public Panel Discussion
Public Panel Discussion and Presentation: Observational Methods and Findings by Anuja Bagul, Senior Material Scientist, New Technologies at Material Connexion, Benjamin Rubin, Artist and designer, and Director of the Center for Data Arts, The New School, Marco Tedesco, Research Professor at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of the Columbia University and Adjunct Scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS), LB Thompson, American Poet and Creative Writing Instructor at The New School
2.30pm-3.00pm | Figure of Speculation: Introductions
Students introduce their drawing/maps of the mediated future of America to the class (3 min presentations)
3.00pm-5.00pm | Figure of Speculation: Adding layers
We will use the methods introduced in the panel discussion, to add layers to the drawings/maps. For example, these new layers could identify how and when material, geography, language, or data had an impact on the mediated future of America.
5.00pm-6.00pm | Discussion, Sharing, and Briefing
We will discuss the drawings/maps as a group and discuss the process for SaturdaySaturday December 2
Synthesizing, Generating & Innovating Observational Methods: Figures of Speculation12pm-1.00pm: Figure of Speculation: The Phone
Identify a situation from the everyday that includes the phone (any instance) and that seems relevant to the idea of “AMERICA'*. On paper, draw/map the key objects & actors of this situation in the present. In a second step, translate this situation through speculation into the future and add hypothesized trajectories of all objects & actors to the map.
1.00pm-4.30pm: Encyclopedia of speculative objects of communication
Based on your map, speculate in more detail how the phone — as an object or a concept — will live in the future. Take a 360 degree view to visualize possible aflordances, challenges, opportunities and political impact. We will use this investigation of the hypothetical to draft an encyclopedia of speculative objects of communication. We will discuss options of individual, group, or class collaboration for process. Reference: Codex Seraphinianus.

12pm-1.00pm: Figure of Speculation: The Phone
Identify a situation from the everyday that includes the phone (any instance) and that seems relevant to the idea of “AMERICA". On paper, draw/map the key objects & actors of this situation in the present. In a second step, translate this situation through speculation into the future and add hypothesized trajectories of all objects & actors to the map.
1.00pm-4.30pm: Encyclopedia of speculative objects of communication Based on your map, speculate in more detail how the phone — as an object or a concept — will live in the future. Take a 360 degree view to visualize possible affordances, challenges, opportunities and political impact. We will use this investigation of the hypothetical to draft an encyclopedia of speculative objects of communication. We will discuss options of individual, group, or class collaboration for process. Reference: Codex Seraphinianus.4.30pm-6.00pm: Discussions Sharing and discussionRESOURCES: (All readings are available under “flies” on canvas)
1. Appadurai, Arjun. 2012. “Speculation, After the Fact." In Speculation, Now. Edited by Vyjayanthi Venuturupalli Rao, Prem Krishnamurthy and Carin Kuoni. Vera List Center for Art and Politics, The New School, New York. Pages 206-209.
2. Ballard, J.G. (1981). Hello America. London: Jonathan Cape. Butler, Octavia. (1980). Wild Seed. New York: Doubleday & Co.
3. Crary, Jonathan. (1990). Modernity and the Problem of the Observer. In Techniques of the Observer (pp. 1- 24). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
4. Dunne, Anthony, and Fiona Raby. 2013. "Beyond Radical Design?" In Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Pages 1-9.
5. Dunne, Anthony, and Fiona Raby. 2013. "Speculative Everything." In Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Pages 159-172.

6. Fuller, Buckminster, 1969. Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth
7. Gansterer, Niki laus. 2011. Drawing A Hypothesis: Figures of Research, Vienna: Springer Vienna Architecture.
8. Hattam, Victoria. 2012. “Image: Visual Speculation and Political Change.** In Speculation, Now. Edited by Vyjayanthi Venuturupalli Rao, Prem Krishnamurthy and Carin Kuoni. Vera List Center for An and Politics, The New School, New York. Pages 139-141.
9. Highmore, B. (2011). Familiar Things. In Ordinary Lives, Studies in the Everyday (Pages 58-86). New York, NY: Routledge.
10. Kurgan, Laura. 2012. “Speculation with Data: Remittances, Refugees, and Migration.** In Speculation, Now. Edited by Vyjayanthi Venuturupalli Rao, Prem Krishnamurthy and Carin Kuoni. Vera List Center for Art and Politics, The New School, New York. Pages 112-121.
11. Michael, Mike (2016). “Notes toward a speculative methodology of everyday life**. Journal Qualitative research. Volume 16. Issue 6. Page 646 - 660.
12. Mirzoeff, N. (2006). On Visuality, journal of visual culture London, Thousand Oaks. CA and New Delhi: SAGE Publications, Vol 5(1), Pages 53-79
13. Paglen, Trevor. 2012. 'The Ethics of Deep Time.“ In Speculation, Now. Edited by Vyjayanthi Venuturupalli Rao, Prem Krishnamurthy and Carin Kuoni. Vera List Center for Art and Politics, The New School, New York. Pages 70-72.
14. Siegcrt, Bernhard. 2015. "(Not) in Place, The Grid as Cultural Technique” In Cultural Techniques. Grids. Filters. Doors, and Other Articulations of the Real. NewYork: Fordham University Press. Pages 109-129
15. Pratt, MX. (1992). Alexander von Humboldt and the reinvention of America. In Imperial Eyes (pp 111-143). London. Routledge.
practicum/ On writing Instructions;
1. Cortazar, Julio (1999) "Instructions Manual" (Selections) in Cronopios and Famas Translated by Paul Blackburn. NY: New Directions Classics
2. See also: A visual essay based on Cortazar’s “Instructions on How to Climb a Staircase" available at: https ://vimco.conV96104610
3. SenneiL R. (2008). Expressive Instruction. In The Craftsman (Pages 179-193). New Haven & London: Yale University Press.
4. Ono, Y. (2000). Excerpts in Grapefruit. New York: Simon & Schuster.
LEARNING OIHTCOMES

will explore the idea of "America" through examining everyday objects. Combining artistic research practice, critical design thinking, and experimental pedagogy, we will disrupt habitual ways of looking at everyday “American“ objects. Training in observational methods—from the scientific to the absurd—will be initiated by guest researchers whose fields include art, climate science, cultural geography, data visualization, economics, history of mathematics, medicine, media theory, material science, music, poetry, and politics — in order to posit alternative ways of seeing.
In the face of an administration that is trying to "Make America Great Again" by shaking the very tenets of US democracy, we arc asking ourselves ancw-as teachers, as citizens, as researchers-what is America? Who and what does it stand for and what does it mean? In experimental fieldwork students will investigate unseen histories told by everyday objects and speculate about the future of the concept “America“.ABOUT THE OBSERVATIONAL PRACTICES LAB
The Observational Practices Lab's mission is to create dialogue about observational practices across disciplinary boundaries; we are focused on the questions of how observational practices work, what different disciplines might learn from another's approaches to observation, which methods are best suited to which subjects and why, and how observation itself can create communities and initiate a new view of our everyday reality.SUMMARY COURSE OUTLINE
The workshop has a few preparatory assignments. They are as follows:
1. Readings
Familiarize yourself with the readings. Choose 5-8 articles (graduate students) or 2-3 articles (undergraduate students) for close reading. These will inform your observation methodologies. Readings arc all available on canvas; we provided entire books in some cases so you have expanded resources, be sure you locate the particular articles indicated.
2. Object Briefing
Watch curator Ellen Lupton's introduction to the model-500 phone on the OBJECT AMERICA website. Objcctamerica.org
3. Drawing of a Speculation
1. Read the following two chapters of the book “Drawing a Hypothesis — Figures of Thought”: “A Line with Variable Direction“, (pages 29-42) and “Drawing Interest Recording Vitality “, (pages 109-120). Also, browse the rest of the book to learn more about the introduced drawings.
2. Identify a mediated version of the future of America (you may draw from any source including films, books, narratives, games, economic theories, etc.).
3. Write a one-page analysis of this speculative future. Include an objective description detailing specifically how America is represented in this version of the future. Include a brief analysis of how this representation sheds light on the evolution of the idea of “America".
4. Map out the mediated version of this speculative America with a drawing/timeline that tracks the pivotal object or actor and additional three other elements (actors/objects/ settings) through past, present, and future.
5. Specs: The map should be large enough to allow additional layers during the workshop (at least 3 feet wide) and should be drawn with a single drawing implement. Bring two contrasting colors of the same drawing implement for use in class (If you use black.