Calling for a More-Than-Human Politics
A Field Guide that can help us move towards the practice of a More-Than-Human Politics, by Anab Jain
Superflux Feature in ‘Feeling the Future’ Conference
Anab Jain and Jon Ardern featured in Feeling the Future, a conference hosted by ArtScience Museum, Singapore.
Spring in Flux
While we all isolate – seemingly adrift in times that morph from strange to challenging to uncertain – we do so together. It’s all (fill in the feeling) for everyone. And, we hope you and your kinfolk are staying healthy and safe.
Superflux is still here, dotted throughout the country from London to Oxford to Orkney and tethered by broadband. Here’s what we’re working on and
thinking about.
CALLING FOR A MORE-THAN-HUMAN POLITICS
Late last year, Anab spoke at the Tentacular festival, presenting the first version of a Field Guide to a More-Than-Human Politics. Here’s a transcribed version of her talk – weaving a narrative through colonial histories, dark revolutions and more-than-human futures.
We’ve spent much time imagining ‘life in constant precarity’. In this new world, it feels increasingly important to create new ways of bringing diverse communities together to collectively imagine alternate futures. We’ll keep you posted on ways to engage on Twitter and Instagram.
VENICE BIENNALE ARCHITETTURA 2020
As you have likely heard, the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – How will we live together? curated by Hashim Sarkis has been postponed to 29 August (running till 29 November).
Ruminating on this exhibition title, we’ve found respite in the practice of making in the midst of uncertainty. Here’s a sneak peek of what we’re working on.
AMBIENT REALITY
As the world adjusts to operating a little differently, we’re excited to work with Omidyar Network to explore the new challenges that surveillance technologies will bring in a time when our health and privacy are so intertwined. More on this in autumn.
NEW AT SUPERFLUX
Two new faces joined our Zoom grid! Meet Creative Producer, Lizze Crouch and Design Intern, Natalia Dovhalionok!
THE STRANGE NOW
Revisiting our sketch from 2015: ‘Design For The New Normal’, an atemporal lens to help us consider multiple timelines, and perhaps more importantly, an unprecedented opportunity to explore what emerges from our current precarity.
Calling Creative Producers!
We are a design and experiential futures company based in Somerset House in London. We create worlds, stories and tools that provoke and inspire people to engage with the precarity of our rapidly changing world; imagining and prototyping different possible futures, to help people make better decisions today.
To date, we have partnered and produced commissions for V&A Museum, Google AI, DeepMind, Cabinet Office UK, United Nations Development Program, Red Cross, Ministry of Energy, Govt. Of UAE, Nesta and Forum for the Future. Our work has been exhibited at MoMA New York, National Museum of China, Vitra Design Museum, Ars Electronica, V&A, Design Museum London, CCCB Barcelona and Arts Science Museum Singapore.
We’re looking for a Creative Producer / Project Manager to join our team and help us produce and deliver a number of exciting projects ranging from immersive installations to films, workshops and strategic documents for projects around climate crisis, democratic technologies and ecosystems regeneration.
We are looking for someone with invaluable experience of working on creative and experimental projects, across public, private and cultural sectors. Additionally, specific experience of working and managing EU grant funded projects will be a huge asset.
This is a contracted role, initially from 1st March to 31st October 2020, with the possibility of evolving into a longer term role.
Our ideal candidate will:
> Have experience working with small creative teams to deliver radical work.
> Have a keen interest in and commitment to work in the area of climate change.
> Thrive in creative environments.
> Be enterprising, organised, creative in managing projects.
> A proven track record of turning requirements into detailed (viable) project plans and managing progress through project delivery phases – ranging from large scale installations to films and strategy documents.
> Experience in creative studio resource planning and management.
> Have an ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people – from designers to non-creative stakeholders.
> Able to build strong relationships with clients and gain trust of key stakeholders.
> Plan, organise, coordinate, manage multiple projects and ensure deadlines are met.
> Ability to identify and address scope changes and ensure appropriate actions are taken to maintain project profitability.
> Proactively set up and facilitate client and studio meetings, recording actions and managing follow-ups, specifying decisions made and actions required.
> Carefully balance the management of timelines, stakeholder expectations and budgets with the creative process, enabling our teams to work with the flexibility and freedom to produce their best work.
> Work closely with the team to understand their ebbs and flow and design efficient systems that help each of our team members to work with their creative rhythms.
If this sounds like you, please apply with a CV, 1-2 references and a cover letter, highlighting relevant and applicable experience within a creative environment. Salary £36 – 38k / annum, DoE.
Deadline for submitting applications is 5pm GMT on 17 February 2020, followed by interviews shortly after. We are an equal opportunity and London Living Wage employer, and adhere to stipulated annual holiday schemes.
Inviting Internship Applications
We have kicked off the year with several exciting, and ambitious projects at the intersection of the climate crisis, ecology, more-than-human futures and democratic technology. Some are global commissions and others are experimental, self-initiated works. To realise these projects, we are inviting applications from talented senior students or recent graduates with a background in architecture and visual design to join our team at our Studio in Somerset House. These positions are part of our paid Internship Program, and will run from end of January to end of May 2020.
1. Architecture We are looking for an architecture senior student or very recent graduate who can demonstrate the following skills and interests:
> Strong 3D modelling skills.
> Strong making skills with knowledge of woodworking, CNC milling, laser cutting, 3D printing.
> A good understanding of materials and their functionality, as well as aesthetics.
> Fluency with the Adobe Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign).
> Excellent spatial understanding for planning and designing exhibitions and installations.
> The ability to think on your feet, be adaptable and able to pivot with changing project needs and constraints.
> A bonus if you have an ability to anticipate project needs and suggest a course of action.
> Willingness to work under pressure and with tight time constraints when needed.
2. Graphic / Visual Design
We are looking for a talented graphic and visual design senior student or very recent graduate, who can demonstrate the following skills and expertise:
> Strong visual and typographic aesthetic across print and digital (knowledge of 3D modelling would be an advantage)
> Experience of realising digital and printed visual design projects. Excellent fluency of Adobe Suite and related software.
> The ability to think on your feet, be adaptable and able to pivot with changing project needs and constraints.
> A bonus if you have an ability to anticipate project needs and suggest a course of action.
> Willingness to work under pressure and with tight time constraints when needed.
Please submit applications (cover letter, CV, portfolio) by 5:00pm on Tuesday 28th January 2020. You should have the right to live and work in the UK. Regretfully, we cannot sponsor work visas. As well, we are an equal opportunities employer and adhere to the UK Living Wage Requirements.
There are three new freelance positions that have come up in the Studio. Please do help us spread the word.
We are looking to work with a product designer, with experience in designing, prototyping and producing interactive products. Our ideal candidate will have sufficient experience and skills in materials, high fidelity prototyping, engineering drawings, as well as technical knowledge of embedding lighting and interactive tech within the product.
This is a freelance position, for a period of 10 -15 days spread across the months of November – December 2019. The designer must be able to work with us in our Studio in London for at least half of the time, and available to start work around the end of October. The day rate will be based on the selected applicant’s experience.
To apply, please email hello@superflux.in with the subject: “Product Designer Application”. Please include a cover letter and a portfolio of work and experience.
Deadline: 15.10.2019, 5pm.
We are looking to work with a talented graphic designer/illustrator with expertise in producing graphic works across 2D and 3D. (If your work has focused on just 2D or 3D, we would still encourage you to apply). Our ideal candidate should be able to demonstrate an excellent grasp of graphic software, be a team member, and have an exceptional eye for detail.
This is a freelance position, for a period of 30 days (approx) spread over the period of November 2019 – February 2020. The designer must be able to work in our Studio in London for at least half of the time, and available to start work around early November. The day rate will be based on the selected applicant’s experience.
To apply, please email hello@superflux.in with the Subject: “Graphic Designer Application”. Please include a cover letter and a portfolio of work and experience.
Deadline: 15.10.2019, 5pm.
We are looking to work with a biologist with knowledge of taxonomic ranks, species classification as well as species evolution and extinction. Our ideal candidate would be a recent graduate with a biology degree, or could be a researcher / designer with in depth knowledge of species evolution. They should also have an interest in genetics, synthetic biology and the restoration of ecosystems. If you’re interested but unsure if your skillset is the right one, we would encourage you to apply.
This is a freelance position, for a period of 30 days (approx) spread over the period of November 2019 – January 2020. The selected candidate must be able to come and work in our Studio in London for at least some days, and available to start work around early November. The day rate will be based on the selected applicant’s experience.
To apply, please email hello@superflux.in with the Subject: “Biologist Application”. Please include a cover letter expressing your interest, CV and / or portfolio of work experience.
Deadline: 15.10.2019, 5pm.
2018 Highlights
From future(s) of work, to AI-led organisations and post-truth politics, here’s a glimpse of our projects and activities from this year.
Instant Archetypes: A toolkit to imagine plural futures
Instant Archetypes: A New Tarot for the New Normal is our new futures toolkit to activate creative and critical thinking through live storytelling, problem-solving and insight exploration. Now on Kickstarter!
AI, HUMANITARIAN FUTURES, AND MORE-THAN-HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN
From projects to workshops, conferences to exhibitions, and design fairs, it’s been a busy (but exciting) 6 months here at Superflux! Here are a few highlights from our Studio’s recent activities.
We worked with the design and curatorial team at the V&A to produce six films for their landmark show The Future Starts Here which opened on 12th May. From a film about how smart objects in a home might become protagonists to the ecologies of technological networks, mass protests to cryonic preservations – our films bring social, cultural and environmental context to the objects and technologies being displayed.
Open to the public until 4 November 2018; this exhibition is composed of more than 100 objects: a landscape of possibilities for a not-too-distant future.
The ‘Networks’ film was conceived, directed, and produced by Superflux. We also gratefully included edited excerpts from the following footage under Creative Commons License BY 3.0
‘Pennies for iPhone’ courtesy of Pennies for iPhone
‘Snapchat | Snapchatter’ courtesy of Adam Rozanski
‘CONNECT APP VIDEO english’ courtesy of Matthias Franta
‘The TripAdvisor App = Hello, Travel Superpowers’ courtesy of Tripadvisor
‘Pilsen Callao – Día del Amigo’ courtesy of Giancarlo Quito
‘Aruba Global Cloud Data Center – Home of your data, heart of your business’ courtesy of Aruba
‘Self-driving cars. Detecting and tracking vehicles’ courtesy of David del Río Medina
‘2017 Infiniti Q60 semi autonomous Test Drive’ courtesy of Javier Mota
‘Chixoy Dam: A Retrospective Study’ courtesy of Daniele Profeta
‘Cortana’s Angels – A Tale of Three CEOs’ courtesy of Toon Poorter
‘Shenzhen Capacitor Factory’ courtesy of Miles Goodhew
‘We Call Them Intruders: A Documentary about Canadian Mining in Africa’ courtesy of ‘We Call Them Intruders’
‘When mines fuel conflict’ courtesy of IOM – UN Migration
‘Hong Kong – Kowloon Tong Festival Walk – Apple Store Grand Opening 2012-09-29’ courtesy of gigapeterz
‘Telefonica Mitwelt Imagespot’ courtesy of QXXQ Studios
‘Opening Apple Store Haarlem’ courtesy of One More Thing
‘The opening of the Apple Store in Amsterdam (Netherlands)’ courtesy of eatingaltoids
‘Apple Store Passeig de Gràcia Opening Day Entrance and Walkthrough’ courtesy of mattconfidential
‘3h29m40s10f China iPhone Manufacturing Montage – Wipe to USA – TR2016a’ courtesy of Gordon McDowell
‘Travis Scott w/ Quavo – Pick up the Phone – LIVE @ COMPLEXCON2016 – 11.5.2016’ courtesy of glenjamn3
‘Reel 2018’ courtesy of Pierre Roquet
‘15 Sorting Algorithms in 6 minutes’ courtesy of Timo Bingmann
‘#YaMeCanse bajo ataque de bots’ courtesy of LoQueSigueTV
‘Visualisation of SoundCloud activity’ courtesy of CeRch KCL
‘DATI.GOV.IT Open Data Visualization’ courtesy of SciamLab
‘Leap points Cloud’ courtesy of Mohamed Ikbel Boulabiar
‘Mining farm and cooling system for cryptocurrencies’ courtesy of Crypto Man
‘How Smartphones Are Assembled & Manufactured In China’ courtesy of Trakin Tech
‘Aerial Shot of Busy Highway’ courtesy of Storyfootage
‘THL Smartphone Factory China’ courtesy of THL Smartphone Factory China
‘Wodify Mobile App’ courtesy of Wodify
‘Social Network Stock footage’ courtesy of the Lab Bench
This film includes edited excerpts from the following footage under the Videvo License:
‘Commuters Using Smartphones’ courtesy of Videvo Attribution License
A big thank you to all those who shared the following copyrighted material, which was also included in the ‘Networks’ film:
‘Taiwan from the Air’ footage courtesy of Ching-Yen Chiu
‘Xtera’s Branching Unit Sea Trial (Above the Arctic Circle)’ Footage courtesy of Copyright & Proprietary 
‘Facebook Data Center Drone Flyover’ courtesy of Mike Murray / The Geek Pub, LLC
‘Apple Data Center Solar Farm – Aerial view’ courtesy of Gerald Waller
‘Coltan: Conflict minerals in Congo’ courtesy of Roland Brockmann and MISEREOR
‘Bitcoin valley’ images courtesy of Patrick Cavan Brown
“The Internet Architecture. Data Center” Documentary’ courtesy of 
‘Makai Submarine Cable Lay Animation’ courtesy of Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc. Hawaii, USA +1-808-259-8871 • makai@makai.com
‘Conflict Minerals’ images courtesy of Mark Craemer
‘Large, open-pit iron ore mine showing the various layers of soil and iron rich ore, industrial exterior, ore mining quarry, sunny day, summer, mining of iron’ courtesy of Igor Bay
‘Large Touch Screen Panel of Mobile Phone. Close up of the production line of large touch screen LCD module transporting one by one.’ used under license from Daumiu – stock.adobe.com
‘Touch Screen Production. Production line of touch screen of mobile phone. Applying glue to stick the touch screen film to the glass module.’ video used under license from Daumiu – stock.adobe.com
‘Highway and Self Driving Autopilot Autonomous Cars 4K’ video by bonjansen – stock.adobe.com
‘Self-driving, autonomous car simulation’ video used under license from hi_def_animation – stock.adobe.com
“I’m getting paid to heat my house while Bitcoin mining and altcoin mining” courtesy of Rahdi Fakhoury (The Bitcoin Miner)
‘Electronics Manufacturing – Factory workers assembling circuit boards’ from skywardkick
‘Electronic PCB boards manufactured for export, China’ from Spotmatik
‘Abandoned old copper extraction Sao Domingos Mine, Portugal, aerial view’ from Discovod
‘New And Old Copper mines’ from Skyworks
‘Religious crowd praising’ by Patrick Guénette
‘Kiev, UKRAINE – June 19, 2014’ from SMP
‘The Ghost hydroelectric dam and reservoir on the Bow River, Alberta, Canada’ from skylightpictures
‘4K aerial hydro electric dam oabove view’ by Red Dog Digital ‘4K aerial close up water dam beauty and power’ by Red Dog Digital
‘Bitcoin mining seamless loop’ from imaginima
‘Miner life review’ courtesy of Jared, Digital Gold LLC
https://www.youtube.com/c/digitalgold
‘Product test with facial recognition of emotions’ courtesy of Emotion Research Lab
‘Udacity SDC Project 5: project video final’ courtesy of John Chen
Superflux,
New Wing, Somerset House,
Strand, London
WC2R 1LA