| .-.
| / \ .-.
| / \ / \ .-. .-. _ _
+--/-------\-----/-----\-----/---\---/---\---/-\-/-\/\/---
| / \ / \ / '-' '-'
|/ '-' '-'
Electronics are complex technical objects. They have militaristic and colonial origins, are made out of materials invasively extracted by western corporations on indigenous lands, have short use cycles and decay on a slow geological scale. Circuit boards are embedded with sexist and racist logics, and formal training in understanding, producing, and repairing them continues to operate under exclusionary principles. Despite– or maybe in spite of this history, manifold traditions of marginalized communities using electronics as a form of social relating, intimacy, and resistance continue to flourish.
Electronics Faire is a multi-layered celebration and demonstration of this flourishing. The event features a sit, tinker, and walk-through fair tabled by local organizations in Philadelphia working with electronics, a series of paper presentations, and workshops for hands-on learning and experimentation with electronics.
Past tablers include: Iffy Bookstore, Philly Typewriter, Philly Community Wireless, Temple’s Computer Recycling Center, and the Low Pass Synths and Coffee.
“I proposed the event upon realizing that there’s very limited curriculum at Temple (and most higher education institutions in the greater Philadelphia region) for interdisciplinary work with electronics–whether that be in the arts or humanities– and there is generally a lack of awareness about the myriad communities who are doing radical work with electronics within and beyond Philadelphia. The heart of the faire is about creating community between the people doing this work, and making this type of work more accessible to those interested in joining.”
– Hannah Tardie, Makerspace Manager, LCDSS