日期﹕2016年11月14日-11月16日
主办：中国美院跨媒体学院 网络社会研究所
English goes page2
在过去的几十载，数码网络改变了我们社会的很多层面，包括社会组织、美学以及艺术实践，以及社会科学的研究定向。早在十八世纪的欧洲，圣西门以及他的追随者梦想通过在国内建设各种网络来更有效也分布资源，从而实现一种社会主义。圣西门的社会主义并没有成功，如马克思之后指出他的谬误在于看不到阶级斗争。然而圣西门关对网络可以彻底改变社会的信念，不单有效而且还越来越显著。在上世纪中叶我们见证了计算机数码网络的出现以及之后社会学家Manuel Castells所理论化的「网络社会」的崛起。在过去的十年里，因为万维网技术的成熟，数据生产大幅增加，而物联网、智能物件、社交网络、大数据分析等进一步将创造了不同形式的网络化，同时无处不在地渗进了都市生活。网络社会研究所的第一个国际周年研究会将定题为「网络化的力量」（Forces of Reticulation），从四个主要方面来批判性地探讨这些问题以及对未来的挑战:
1) 美学﹕数码的网络化技术摧生了一种新的「世界影像」（Weltbild），我们直觉地视世界上的所有东西为网络形式﹕任何东西都与其他东西连结在一起。这种美学，表现在来数据视觉化上，同时在媒体理论家Lev Manovich的研究里成为一种分析的工具 –文化分析。这种美学如何成为一种批判的工具而不只是肯定这个世界影像呢？我们还可以想像其它的网络化影像吗？
2）生态﹕网络的核心问题也是生态学的问题。它容许我们理解资讯是如何流通，同时意义如何在网络上由各种器具生产以及组织（Fuller; Hörl）。这种生态学超越了我们以自然环境为对象的生态学，同时形成了一种媒体﹣技术生态学，我们应该如何理解概念化这种新的生态学？
3） 物质﹕另外一个问题是构成网络的物质。我们可以从两个层次理解物质性，首先是网络的基建，例如通讯线路、伺服器等；另一方面是资讯以及数据的物质性。这种物质性常被错误地视为非物质（Hui)。相反地，这是哲学家如李欧塔斯所说的「非物质」﹣一种新的物质，甚至是斯蒂格勒最近提出的超物质，而这样去理解网络的物质性可以让我们看到些什么新的东西？
4）算法﹕与铁路、电路相比，数据网络比更容易由算法来调控。算法是自动化地组织这些网络的新力量，无论是推特还是微博，是面书还是微信息。根据比利时法律以及媒体理论家Antoinette Rouvroy的分析，基于网络的算法引进的是一种她称之为消费主义社会的「算法治理术」的新管治模式。我们如何理解一个变得越来越自动化，同时由算法决定的社会？
同时，我们广泛向华人年轻学者与艺术家开放，征求华人世界新的网络研究、艺术创作与实践报告，以 圆桌论坛 形式，接合国际理论与在地研究的力量。
The First Annual Conference of Network Society “Forces of Reticulation”
Date﹕2016 11/14~16
Organizer: The Institute of Network Society (INS), School of Inter- Media Art (SIMA) of China Academy of Art (CAA)
In the past decades, digital networks have transformed many aspects of our society, including social organisation, aesthetic and artistic practices, and research orientation in the social sciences. In the 18th century in Europe, Saint Simon and his followers have dreamed of realising a socialism through the building of different networks, so that resources can be effectively redistributed. Saint Simon’s socialism has never been realized, as said Marx, that he was blind to class struggles. However Saint Simon’s believe in the force of reticulation that can impose fundamental changes to our society is still valid, and becomes even more important today. We have witnessed the emergence of computer network since the mid of the last century, and the rise of network societies according to the analysis of the sociologist Manuel Castells. In the past decade, the rapid growth in data production due to the maturity of web technologies, the rise of the internet of things, smart objects have created various forms of articulation, that have effectively pervaded our everyday life. The Graduate Institute of Network Society will dedicate the first annual international conference the question of network, with the title “Forces of Reticulation”, with four main focuses
1) Aesthetics : the digital reticulation technology has produced a new world image [Weltbild], in which the network form becomes the intuitive form of the world: everything is connected with each other. This aesthetics is expressed in data visualisation and further conceptualised as analytical tool in the work of the media theorist Lev Manovich – cultural analytics. How can then this aesthetics become a critical tool, instead of just reinforcing this world picture? Or in what other critical forms of reticulation can be imagined?
2) Ecology : central to network is the question of media ecology. This allows us to understand not only how information is circulated, but also how senses are produced and organized on the networks, through different apparatus （Fuller; Hörl）. This concept of ecology exceeds what has been understood in related to the natural environment, but also points to a media-technological ecology. How then can this new ecology be conceptualized?
3) Materiality: the other question concerns the materiality of the networks. We can understand the materiality in two ways, firstly the material infrastructure of networks, e.g. cables, servers, etc., but also the materiality of data and information, which has been so far misunderstood as immaterial (Hui). Instead it is what the philosopher Jean-Francois Lyotard calls the new material or what Bernard Stiegler calls the hypermaterial, what does it imply to understand data networks in this way?
4) Algorithm: in comparison with the networks such as railway, electrics, data networks are more flexible towards algorithmic modulation. Algorithm becomes the new force that automatically organize these networks, either it is Twitter or Weibo, Facebook or Wechat. Algorithms when used for consumerism, according to the legal and media theorist Antoinette Rouvroy, implies a “algorithmic governmentality” in the sense of the word from Michel Foucault. How shall we understand the stake of such a society becoming more and more automatized and subject to algorithms?
At the meantime, we sincerely invite young artists, hackers, activists of Chinese speaking world to formulate our round table forum, in order to articulate theory and practices.