in-grid

This panel contribution is concerned with the work of In-grid, a trans* feminist artist/educator collective working through digital infrastructures. We practice infrastructuring through a method of re-figuring; learning, forming and enabling. Via this collective practice, we create new forms and imaginaries of technical skill-sharing, co-creation and documentation. During these processes, critical, political and affective positionalities are entangled with the materials with which we are engaging, carefully avoiding conflating the nuances of our individual desires and the needs of all those taking part. These methods are normally invalidated through the hegemonic terms of cloud computing and commercial technological development. To do this otherwise (Pritchard, 2018) we embrace queer, crip and feminist methods, bringing in different temporalities, rhythms, dynamics and dialogues that transform infrastructuring practices through mutual care and collective affinity (Kafer, 2013).

We're excited to share reflections on a case study of how we have been practising infrastructuring otherwise, so that others can build from our successes, failures and frictions (Davis, Angela Y., et al. 2022). To illustrate this we will focus on Servpub (servpub.net + wiki4print.servpub.net) a collaboration and co-creation of an open publishing infrastructure with other feminist servers, collectives and educational/research institutions, like Varia, Systerserver, Creative Crowds, CCI, CSNI and Shape. In the creation of this community centred autonomous server we shared skills, stories and emotions, transforming these often violent infrastructure into an affective infrastructure. We will also touch on our histories as In-grid, and speculate on how we might build on our collective archival, writing and infrastructuring practices.