First Fridays
2023
X. Attention and Isolation
December 2023
A discussion with artist, writer, educator, Jenny Odell.
IX. Dark Patterns: Attention and the Law
November 2023
A discussion on “Dark Patterns“, and the new lawsuits and lawmaking aimed at the attention frackers with Mihir Kshirsagar.
Plus, an exercise in be|hold|ing with An-Li Bogan.
- Chat Thread
- What Makes Dark Patterns Dark?, Arunesh Mathur, Jonathan Mayer, Mihir Kshirsagar
- Dark Patterns Slides
VIII. Attention and Inner Experience
October 2023
An exploration of methods of attention to inner experience with Professor Russel T. Hurlburt.
- Chat Thread
- An exercise in attending to Spaces in Thought.
VII. Attention, AI, and the Future
September 2023
A conversation with former Google-strategist, philosopher and author James Williams.
Plus, a warm up exercise w/ special guest Jac Mullen.
VI. Attention and Radical Pedagogy
August 2023
A conversation hosted by Jeff Dolven and Matthew Spellberg on the Strother School of Radical Attention.
Warm-up exercise led by Ana Marques.
IV. Thoreau, Attention, Discipline
April 2023
A discussion with Caleb Smith on his new book Thoreau’s Axe: Distraction and Discipline in American Culture.
W/ special guest Jared Rankin, an exercise in drifting with the clouds …
- Chat Thread
- Caleb Smith, excerpt from Thoreau’s Axe
- Henry David Thoreau, excerpt from Journal
III. Strengthening Attentional Activism
March 2023
Micro-documentary film-screenings on diverse practices of attention, with shorts from filmmaker and FoA intern Dylan Liu, and a conversation on the Friends of Attention coalition-building effort.
Plus, a filmic warm-up from Claudia Claremi!
II. The Wandering Mind
February 2023
A discussion with Jamie Kreiner on her new book The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us about Distraction.
Plus, a Centripetal ASMR exercise with Ana Marques, and David B. Landes on The Attention Trove …
- Chat Thread
- John Cassian, Collationes excerpt
- Professor Kreiner’s “ANGEL WING MNEMONIC MEDITATION EXERCISE”
- ASMR Spirographic Centering Meditation
Courtesy of the 2020 ESTAR(SER) residency at the Watermill Center – “Wondergraphic Distraction”
I. Attention, Algorithms, and Social Justice
January 2023
A discussion with Stefanie Hessler on the forthcoming Attention, Algorithms, and Social Justice exhibition.
W/ special guest Stevie Knauss, and a January intervention protocol.