Marisa Morán Jahn (SMIVisS ’07), an ACT lecturer and founder of Studio REV-, has presented her work at the Speaking Truth Summit-X in a talk entitled “The Copper in My Cooch and Other Technologies” on September 23, 2019 in Berkeley, CA.
In an excerpt from the promotional summary of Jahn’s talk:
“When we think about technology, most conjure images of things automated (eg, robots) and agents automating (eg, AIs). In this talk, artist Marisa Morán Jahn broadens how we think about technology through the example of copper, whose extraction, refinement, and use is both ancient and future-forward. Copper is a pliable and naturally-occurring element found in our homes, computers, cities, lightning rods, and the IUD located in the uterus (“snatch”) of 170 million women across the world today. As the first metal mined across the world, copper’s wide usage in tools, anti-bacterials, jewelry that promotes blood circulation, household fixtures, digital networks, and reproductive technology point to its central role as a metal that lives with(in) us. Jahn will share examples from her current work, ‘Snatchural History of Copper’, a participatory art installation, book, and film that celebrates copper’s coterminous relationship with human civilization while questioning who has the right to exert control over bodies and land.”
Studio REV- has also released a teaser of this talk, seen below.