Public Programs And Events

Dictionary of the Possible

Shifter magazine, in collaboration with writer Avi Alpert, is leading a series of public discussions, each concentrated on unraveling a keyword – a term that carries with it both a sense of urgency and agency in our present climate. By inviting artists, writers, activists, philosophers and others to propose terms and lead discussions, we will open up our editorial process to the motivations of others.

For our next meeting of The Dictionary of the Possible, Colleen Macklin, Associate Professor of Media Design, and Will Lee, Fine Arts MFA student, will fail at defining “games.” And because failure is one of our primary experiences in games, we’ll have fun in the process. We will look at knotty words like "fun," "play," and "gamification" and consider if we are in what Eric Zimmerman deems a "ludic century," that is, a reality in which everything is now experienced and conceived as the interaction between complex game systems. But what if we find ourselves in a game rigged against us? What if the rules, movements, and potential outcomes are already predetermined, engineered or designed to beat us? What would be our counter-attack?

This is the sixteenth meeting in an ongoing series of public discussions, each concentrated on unraveling a keyword – a term that carries with it both a sense of urgency and agency in our present climate. By inviting artists, writers, activists and philosophers to propose terms and lead discussions, SHIFTER has opened up its editorial process to the motivations of others.

The format of these discussions is central to the project. We do not use the standard mode of lecture or presentation. Rather, we invite two speakers to prepare brief remarks of around 10-15 minutes around the chosen term and pose critical questions for all those present. The conversation is immediately opened up for all. The purpose of the short readings recommended by the discussion leaders is to help stimulate ideas and
discussion.

The yearlong series will culminate in SHIFTER’s 22nd issue Dictionary of the Possible. This dictionary will catalog the many keywords taken up for discussion, accompanied by a list of questions provoked during each meeting. Rather than providing static definitions we envision a dictionary that continually incites discussion.