Absent Intelligence
This paper investigates how contemporary AI systems reproduce and amplify colonial hierarchies of knowledge. Through practice-led artistic research, Nouf Aljowaysir traces how the historical and digital visual record of the Arab world, largely produced by imperial actors, has been absorbed into AI training data, shaping both archival memory and algorithmic interpretation. In response, she developed Salaf (Ancestors), which uses AI segmentation techniques to remove orientalist figures from the Ken and Jenny Jacobson Orientalist Photography Collection at the Getty Museum, producing what she describes as an absent dataset. Drawing on Vilém Flusser's apparatus theory, the work argues that intelligence is defined by what has been narrowly recorded, digitized, and made legible online. By centering oral storytelling traditions and creating absent datasets, Aljowaysir's practice reveals how non-Western knowledge systems remain systematically marginalized within computational infrastructures that present themselves as universal.
Subverting the Spectacle: Flusserian Tactics for Body Politics on Indian Instagram
This paper delves into the complex landscape of Instagram in India, employing Vilém Flusser's philosophy of visual communication as an analytical lens. It explores how users construct and negotiate individual and collective identities on the platform, while grappling with the interplay of power, representation, and algorithmic curation. The analysis argues that Instagram, with its focus on visual storytelling, aligns with Flusser's notion of the "technological image" shaping our understanding of the world. However, it cautions against the potential pitfalls of algorithmic mimicry, which can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and limit exposure to diverse perspectives. The paper acknowledges the influence of Western beauty standards on Indian users, potentially leading to self-doubt and distorted self-perception. However, it empowers users by highlighting their agency in employing strategies like body positivity movements and celebrating cultural authenticity to challenge these dominant narratives. In conclusion, the research advocates for a critical approach to Instagram, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the constructed nature of online content and fostering a more inclusive and representative online space.