Tecnologías relacionales en las prácticas artísticas participativas: Casos, mecánicas y estrategias

Abstract

Nowadays the concept of "technology" is identified in a naturalized way with hard-technologies (those coming from the knowledge of the physical and natural sciences that take on tangible aspects of reality), leaving aside soft-technologies (related to the human and social sciences, and that deal with more intangible aspects). Relational technologies would be inside the second ones, which are mechanics that structure our social relations. Getting to understand and use them in the art field in an empowered way, would facilitate that artistic creations generating more relevant interactions in society and that artists would contribute with visions and alternative ways of living inside the social magma of intangible powers we move in. This article defines soft-technologies, locates relational technologies inside them (with their three typologies: behavioural, communicational and organizational technologies), and extracts the mechanics and strategies that operate in five concrete participatory art projects, for getting to construct a tool-kit of relational tools feasible to use in artistic projects in a sophisticated way and in an equilibrium of forces more in accordance with how these technologies operate upon ourselves.