Objects in Flux - RMIT Research Repository - RMIT University

Objects in Flux
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3. Remaking Things
Chapter 3 documents my initial investigations into object modification
and discusses the nature of the modification process. Through the
construction of a public art event called FIX the research collected a
number of faulty objects from members of the general public and attempted
to fix these objects in innovative and unexpected ways. These
material explorations present the act of modification as a complex
negotiation between various cultural values, personal histories, functional
language, and material constraints. Object modification is found
to be a process of rethinking the object from within, of finding a path
within the object by which it may become something other.
4. Hacking, Modding and DIY
This chapter turns its attention to everyday acts of object modification.
Taking a broad approach, the text examines practices of hacking,
modding and DIY and their representation within society. From this
diverse array of productive activity a general overview of these practices
is developed and a number of common themes emerge. Practices
are seen to privilege individual agency and creative play. While they
are often anti-authoritarian in nature they are also highly social with
practitioners actively seeking out parallel projects and like-minded
individuals. The public dialogue that emerges through these connections
is highly self-reflexive and privileges the free and open exchange
of information.
5. Telling Stories
Chapter 5 examines the discursive space generated by practices of
object modification. The chapter is presented through two parallel
streams; the main body of the text is taken up by stories from the field
of object modification while the theoretical reflection on these stories
is pushed to the margin. The intent here is to acknowledge that practices
of object modification are sites of diverse production. This production
is not simply materially based but also textual and social. The
stories presented here mirror established forms of representation and
engage a diverse community of practitioners. Taken together, these
parallel texts describe a field of activity where participants actively
construct their environment to match their beliefs and desires.