“Black Narratives in Cyberspace” with Laura Campaz

This lecture critically discusses Black representation in digital spaces, exploring cyber-ethnography, art, and stereotypes in online visual culture.

Technology is often perceived as neutral and objective, with its advancement associated with social progress. However, this universalist perspective frequently ignores and perpetuates inequalities rooted in racism and other forms of oppression.

This lecture proposes a critical reflection on the representation of Black communities in the digital sphere, using cyber-ethnography as an analytical tool. Through the artistic projects Encrypted Paths, Treatment to Stop Being Invisible, and Ebony Deluxe, it will explore how images and memes have shaped the perception of Blackness in contemporary visual culture.

Additionally, experiences and artistic practices that challenge these stereotypes will be shared, promoting a fairer and more authentic representation of Black communities on the web, questioning dominant narratives, and opening space for alternative perspectives on technology, society, and justice.

Language: English with close-captions

Laura Campaz (they/them) is a visual artist and graphic designer exploring Afro history and culture through cyber-ethnography using digital archives, internet symbols, and temporary files. Campaz manages Prietitud, an archive of Black Colombian artists, and has curated exhibitions such as Las estrellas son negras (ARTBO Salas) and A la sombra del monte (Lugar a Dudas), engaging critically with Black representation in digital and artistic spaces. Their own work, which spans collage, video, photography, and installation, has been exhibited locally and internationally, and some are part of the Museo de Antioquia and Museo La Tertulia in Colombia, whereas others belong to private collections.

This lecture is part of the Unwired Currents—Imagining Technology Otherwise free online lecture series challenging dominant narratives of design, knowledge-making, and technological progress.

The lecture series has been curated by Valentina Alcalde Gómez and Adriana Palencia from the Latin American platform Matería Oscura, alongside Maya Ober from Futuress. It is part of the Unwired Currents—Imagining Technology Otherwise larger collaborative project between the think & do tank Dezentrum and Futuress, along with the transnational collective Dreaming Beyond AI, designer and researcher Franca López Barbera, and Matería Oscura.

The program is possible thanks to a generous grant from the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.