In 2024, Fabbula is launching ‘Permacomputing Playgrounds’ a platform for decentralized research on computation and play within planetary boundaries.
What sustainable pathways emerge when we combine permacomputing, playfulness and technologies such as AI, XR and real-time media?
Computation and play within planetary boundaries
Permacomputing is inspired by the founding principles of permaculture–caring for people, caring for the earth, sharing resources equitably–and applies them extensively to the digital world. The term offers radically sustainable approaches with a focus on utilizing already available computational resources. Instead of a list of rules to follow, its principles help surface systemic and ecological issues in our use to computation and network technologies and provides us with tools and critical thinking to regain agency over it.
Fabbula has grown increasingly interested in participation and action. We thus made the hypothesis of combining permacomputing and playful culture to act within planetary boundaries. Take part in our ongoing research via our Notion page!
What are Permacomputing Playgrounds?
Permacomputing Playgrounds are spaces for playful practice & critical thinking of sustainable tech. They emerge within a community which want to place technologies practices within a scarce real-world. Permacomputing Playgrounds operate according to playful culture and the permacomputing principles.
Inspired by game/play studies, the research is practice oriented and favors experimentation over result in order to :
✲ Generate playtestable commons and narratives based on the engaging potential of playful culture to empower participants in their relation to technology.
✢ Experience the individual and collective fun that emerges when creating in a framework of constraints that are both contextual and self-imposed.
✴ Raise awareness on ideas and practices that need broader audiences and practitioners to have a significant impact.
✺ Foster sustainable and environmentally positive dynamics for collectives, institutions and companies relying on computation.
European Game Jam
A first restitution of our research will happen during the next edition of Octobre Numérique – Faire Monde Festival in Arles, through exhibitions, talks and workshops, from October 9th to November 10th, 2024.
The festival will also feature an European decentralized game jam, celebrating playfulness and climate justice: the European PermaJam.
During 2 days, local hubs ensure the conditions for European new media students and artists to create computationally minimal video games and realtime media artworks that will feature in a European competition organized and hosted online by Fabbula.
Playlist
Francis Tseng, Son La Pham, Drew Pendergrass, Troy Vettese, Half Earth Socialism, 2022
Drift Mine Satellite, Everest Pipkin, 2023
NUTS, Joon, Pol, Muuutsch, Char & Torfi, 2021
As we carry our permacomputing playgrounds research, we will update a selection of games exclusively curated on Itch.io.
We start off with 3 games we love, 1# Drift Mine Satellite, a beautiful adventure into a former limestone mine, turned post apocalyptic society ; 2# Half Earth Socialism, a game allowing you to test political choices and play global futures ; 3# NUTS, to get lost in a forest, follow the tracks of nocturnal squirrels and discover an anthropocene mystery.