Hackers & Desigers: Fake it!

In recent years our use and understanding of notions such as truth and reality have been heavily challenged. “White Lies”, “Fake News” and “Alternative Facts” are buzzwords that illustrate how truth might have become obsolete, and needs to be reconsidered.
The long-held idea of images as proof of reality vanished. Washed away by manipulative practices of image production our hyper-visual media streams have become highly subjective and emotional. Authenticity claims to be the new challenge while power structures shift and users become creators.
In 2018 Hackers & Designers proposed to explore the notion of truth by interrogating what the tools and technologies that we are building, using and updating and therefore reaffirming are capable of? Do we really know? Do we need to know?

The 4th edition of the H&D Summer Academy (HDSA2018) was given the title: Fake it! Fake them! Fake you! Fake us!… and calling for taking truth into own hands.

By inviting hackers/designers/makers/artists who took part in our activities in 2018 to participate to this publication we propose to establish a critical perspective on truth and accountability in relation to technology, and call for an informed dealing and working with multiple truths. Together we look at the role of technical applications within the de-/construction of truth. How can the tools we build and use shape how we publish and consume media? Who can we trust when the concept of truth has vanished? Can ideas of ‘subjectivity’ replace the notions of objectivity and rationality? What happens to responsibility and accountability?