Pricing, Conversations and an Oracle (a trio of experiments)

Day 1/ Game 1 (Mar 26): 'At what price...'

Play here - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nb7nHh6gEKKgtoyujUDEEHcKzerMx_ldwbJtd0pf...

Is a play on (economic) research surveys, and on the arbitrariness of "willingness-to-pay" questions (the questioning techniques are from existing studies+research techniques which I reference/cite) in relation to sustainability and E-waste. I also wanted to incorporate online-offline interaction, and for participants to respond to their relations with objects from their existing home environments.

(Note - My work is in political economic research, so I’m interested in general in merging “research” with gameplay, developing new methods/tools and possibilities of reflective play in “everyday” spaces. Also my original idea was to play on the idea of ‘pricing’ "ecosystem services" in environmental economics calculation - how problematic and flawed the processes and concepts are - of “willingness-to-pay” and “willngness-to-accept”)

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Day 2/ Game 2 (Mar 27): 'Conversations with the _ _ _ '

Play here - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WwvfHWTs4SS4EFnHMgk8kyXj9GKoyynV/edit  

Is a simple (fill-in-the-gap + visual) puzzle. Playing on past writing on/about/in the POV of non-human subjects. Towards exploring animism and alternative ontologies that natural forms have inspired (at least in me/my memory).

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Day 3/ Game 3 (Mar 28): 'Cobalt and The Oracle'

Coming EOD! (not ready yet!)

Role play game-inspired. A fictional scenario where Cobalt consults The Oracle (ie, the I Ching) about its future. The player as  ‘The Oracle’ has to give 'Cobalt' advice through a WhatsApp consultation.. Playing on themes of telling/imagining 'futures', critical earth minerals/resources, alternative knowledge systems (the I Ching was developed 3000 years ago for farmers to consult about agriculture) and non-human perspectives/subjectivities.

To PLAY:

… You are ‘The Oracle’ .

... ... You are very old, wise, etc..

... ... ... You are about to have a consultation with 'Cobalt'... they need your help (ie, Oracle-like advice) as they're having a rough time...

Step 1: First (Google-)search 'Cobalt' and read at least 3 news articles, so you know your client!

Step 2: Join the WhatsApp 'consultation' by (link doesn’t work yet, can you send your WhatsApp number to ‘carcarjh@gmail.com’, you will be added to the ‘consultation’ group with Cobalt)

Step 3: Cobalt will send you some messages + voice-notes on what’s bothering them..

Step 4: Respond with some advice

Step 5: Cobalt may send you their ‘hexagram’, do your best to interpret and offer your words of wisdom.

For more on the I Ching: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching + https://www.weirdstudies.com/82