Play along with Black Mirror Stories by artist Roos Groothuizen, a card game inspired by the existing game Black Stories and the popular series Black Mirror. Will you manage to unravel them?
In recent years, the biggest players in technology, including Facebook, Google and TikTok, have been under scrutiny due to all sorts of scandals. Their services are said to be detrimental to our health, self-confidence, knowledge and democracy.
Digital technology is huge and is developing so fast that politicians have little control over it. Even the developers of the technology say they "did not know what they were getting into" before everything spiralled out of control. Among others, the creator of the like button regrets his invention.
How could these negative consequences be avoided in the future?
Imagining stories and fantasies have often helped us with this question. (Science fiction) stories form tangible examples that we use in conversations, designs and even legislative proposals to understand and frame recent and future events. By inventing scenarios, you can make the consequences of (for example) technology tangible.
The Black Mirror Stories game consists of illustrated cards with dystopian, tech-related riddles. In this workshop, after playing the game, you will also create your own scenarios by inventing Black Mirror Stories.
Black Stories is a card game with jet black riddles. One player holds a riddle card and the other players have to guess what went wrong with the character in the story by asking yes/no questions.
Black Mirror is a television series. Each episode is a different story revolving around technological advances of this century.
Programme
19:15 door open
19:30 - 19:40 welcome & introduction by Waag
19:40 - 19:50 introduction by Roos Groothuizen
19:50 - 20:15 start game Black Mirror Stories
20:15 - 21:00 workshop: invent your own future scenario
21:00 - 22:00 feedback, chat and drinks
About the artist
Roos Groothuizen is a media artist fighting for digital human rights. In her practice and within the art collective Telemagic, she researches the human side of invisible algorithms, information filters and unfair distribution.
Waag Open
Waag Open is the monthly public programme focused on today's themes. We organise various workshops and present collaborations between scientists, designers and artists. Once a month, Waag opens her doors for programmes that can be attended by anyone and everyone.
Accessibility
Because the Waag building is a protected monumental building, it unfortunately doesn't have an elevator. The event will take place in the Makersguild on the second floor of the Waag building.
