Armelle Skatulski is an artist, arts educator, and researcher undertaking a practice-based PhD at the Royal College of Art in London (AHRC DTP).
She is also a freelance researcher working for progressive think tanks with a focus on the data economy, digital rights, the internet of things, automation, and post-work futures.
Armelle produced a schematic map of the datafication of work for the think tank Autonomy (Data Archeogram, January 2021) and since May 2021 has been a visiting scholar at the Minderoo Tech & Policy Lab UWA, researching and visualising data mining in various domains including the VR economy. Armelle’s most recent exhibitions include: RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin (May-July 2022); Unruly Encounters, South Park Galleries, London (March 2022); Research Biennale MRes 21, Royal College of Art, London (Feb. 2021); There’s something lurking in the shadows, Dyson Gallery, RCA & NAFAE, London (March 2019); Flight Mode, Assembly Point, London (July 2018).
We spoke to Armelle about her residency at Convention House, which is funded by Garfield Weston. She told us that:
“At Convention House I will research possible avenues for developing community led VR platforms as opposed to privately owned platforms owned by large technology firms, from Roblox to Meta. This will entail mapping how VR technologies used in the everyday inscribe us in the Internet of Things economically and politically. Part of the project will be to engage with the mechanical and soft infrastructures of VR platforms to explore how and what type of data are collected from people when navigating such environments. The project will aim to chart this visually through a form of cartography and/or through re-routing or recycling existing tech to produce work at the convergence of sculpture and performance. The project will include community focused digital literacy and collective mapping workshops to co-produce tools on data collection and ownership, privacy issues, and digital labour in VR and online platforms more broadly.
I am particularly drawn to Convention House’s programme of participatory arts workshops, digital capability upskilling, and its emphasis on democratising technology. It will be a chance to be part of a vibrant community of artists, technologists, and advocates, to experiment with new technology and make new work”
Check out Armelle’s RCA Research Profile here.
Image credit: Nachtrag by Armelle Skatulski, 2022
