Open Source Embroidery: Embroidered Digital Commons

The 'Embroidered Digital Commons' is an artwork faciltiated by Ele Carpenter as part of the Open Source Embroidery project, utilising social and digital connectivity. This distributed embroidery aims to collectively stitch terms from the Concise Lexicon of/for the Digital Commons as a practical way of close-reading and discussing the text and its current meaning. Each term is chosen in relation to the specific context of its production through group workshops, conferences and events. The terms of the lexicon are: Access, Bandwidth, Code, Data, Ensemble, Fractal, Gift, Heterogeneous, Iteration, Kernal, Liminal, Meme, Nodes, Orbit, Portability, Quotidian, Rescension, Site, Tools, Ubiquity, Vector, Web, Xenophilly, Yarn, and Zone.

Open Source Embroidery pays homage to Ada Lovelace (1816-52) who helped to develop the Analytical Engine, the first idea for a universal computer, with Charles Babbage. Lovelace wrote "we may say most aptly that the Analytical Engine weaves algebraical patterns just as the Jaquard Loom weaves flowers and leaves." (Gere, 2002, p24).

DH2010 conference participants will be invited to embroider the definition of RESCENSION from the Lexicon. Using traditional techniques to embroider what is considered to be the most contemporary form of language seems to explore appropriately the conference theme of 'Cultural Expression, old and new', while also having resonance with the THATCamp and its self-organised unconference process, which will take place immediately before the start of the conference. 

This installation will run throughout the conference in the Great Hall.  Further information about Ele Carpenter and the artwork may be found at www.open-source-embroidery.org.uk/EDC.htm, from which the above text has been taken.

Ele Carpenter is a Lecturer at Goldsmith's College University of London and a Research Fellow at HUMLab at the University of Umea, Sweden.  She describes herself as a curator of contemporary visual art and artists film, video and new media, with experience of public and artist-run curatorial projects, in galleries and off-site, and a particular interest in socially engaged art, media and film. (From her page on LinkedIn.)