New Extractivism

by Vladan Joler

Serbia 2020
Installation with print, essay and animated video (17:34 minutes)

At this very moment in the 21st century, we are witnessing a new form of extractivism that reaches into the furthest corners of the biosphere and the deepest layers of human cognitive and affective being. To tackle the truly planetary scale of extractivism, it is necessary to move beyond a simplistic analysis of the relationship between individual human beings, their data and the actions of tech companies.

New Extractivism reveals these interconnections in an effort to make sense of our contemporary reality. This titanic cartographic project is an assemblage of concepts and allegories drawn from a variety of resources: statistical research and data mining, ancient and contemporary philosophy, media theory and fiction, sociology and economics. Together, they form a blueprint for a machine-like superstructure, or ‘super allegory’. A fractal-like allegorical structure. An allegory within an allegory within an allegory.

Vladan Joler

― Artist

Vladan Joler is an academic, researcher and artist whose work blends data investigations, counter-cartography, investigative journalism, writing, data visualisation, critical design and numerous other disciplines. He explores and visualises different technical and social aspects of algorithmic transparency, digital labour exploitation, invisible infrastructures and many other contemporary phenomena in the intersection between technology and society. He has curated and organized numerous events and gatherings of Internet activists, artists and investigators, including SHARE events in Belgrade and Beirut. His artistic pre-history is rooted in media activism and game hacking. He has received numerous awards, including the 2019 Design of the Year Award by the Design Museum in London and the S+T+ARTS Prize ’19 Honorary Mention by the European Commission and Ars Electronica. Joler’s work has been profiled and covered in many international media such as BBC, CNN, WIRED, The Independent, The Times, Wallpaper*, Le Figaro, The Verge, Fast Company, +ARCH, ArtForum, Neural, LesJours, WeMakeMoneyNotArt and many others.

Event