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         FINAL CALL FOR CRITICAL DEMONSTRATIONS

   CRITICAL COMPUTING -- Between Sense and Sensibility

         The Fourth Decennial Aarhus Conference,
           Aarhus, Denmark, 21-25 August 2005

                http://www.aarhus2005.org

                 Deadline: June 12, 2005
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Critical Demonstrations should frame IT-research 
as critical action in a form that can be 
experienced concretely by the conference 
participants. The role of technology in the 
submitted works could be either tool, medium or 
topic.

FORM
A Critical Demonstration can have many forms. It 
can be a system in the traditional sense, or it 
can be more like an installation, or even a live 
event. It does not necessarily have to fit on a 
desktop. It could "happen" or be experienced 
during the conference, at the venue or in the 
city -- though some part or product must be 
available in the demo room. It does not have to 
include technology as a running system, but 
demonstrations that present a process or method 
in a way that engages the audiences are also 
encouraged. Critical Demonstrations could take 
the form of a piece of art.

THEME
The theme should be "Critical Computing", i.e. it 
should manifest a critique of some aspect of 
computers and information technology. It may be a 
"solution" to a problem, e.g. IT and poverty, 
democracy, universal accessibility, or gender 
issues. It may also be the opposite, a dystopic 
visualization of excluding technologies or scenes 
highlighting future paths for society to avoid. 
Other topics include works that explores and uses 
ambiguity, edged-ness or opposition in design.

A limited number of high quality Critical 
Demonstrations will be selected for presentation 
during the conference. Technological excellence 
and innovation is encouraged but not required. 
The successful Critical Demonstration will convey 
a distinct critical perspective on IT to the 
conference participants that partake in the demo 
sessions.

SUBMISSION FORMAT
Critical Demonstration submissions may be up to 2 
pages in the conference publication format, in 
addition a demonstration plan outlining use of 
resources, timing etc. as well as other 
appropiate material should be submitted. 
Submissions will be peer reviewed by the program 
committee and included in the conference 
proceedings.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
Continuing the tradition from the conferences in 
1975, 1985 and 1995, it is the aim of the fourth 
Aarhus conference to provide a forum for the 
exploration and development of new perspectives 
for critical computing.

As information technology reaches out from the 
workplace to virtually all aspects of human life, 
the scope of critical IT research expands from a 
focus on designing computer support for quality 
of working life to new frontiers. These frontiers 
include the home, leisure time, citizen services, 
public spaces as well as the workplace. We face 
new challenges for technology support and new 
pitfalls regarding the ways in which people sense 
and form meaningful environments.

Critical Computing is a multi-disciplinary 
conference covering fields like participatory 
design, interaction design, CSCW, social 
computing, digital art and entertainment 
addressed from a variety of disciplines like 
computer science, sociology, psychology, 
ethnography, architecture, and aesthetics.

Topics for contributions include, but are not limited to:

* Objectives of critical computing e.g.: Is 
empowerment still the objective? How is the 
balance between tradition and innovation affected 
in the new contexts of use?

* Design ideals e.g.: How do we understand and 
use invisible computers, ambient intelligence, 
etc.?

* Context e.g.: How will our environment be 
affected? Aesthetically?  Ergonomically? 
Ethically?

* Scope and quality e.g.: How do we define design 
quality when there is no work to support? How do 
we assess relevance, sense and sensibility of 
computing artefacts?

* Design processes e.g.: Which new kinds of 
processes do we initiate to involve users in 
design of computing systems and artefacts for 
homes,  semi-public and fully public spaces? How 
do we bridge between work and other aspects of 
human lives?

* Research method, e.g.: How can IT research 
adapt issues of sustainability, both 
environmental, social and economical?

The conference encourages presentations of 
examples in terms of cases, systems, applications 
and conceptual frameworks that contribute to the 
understanding of the new issues and design 
values. In keeping with the tradition of the 
Aarhus Conferences, this conference will 
encourage new types of presentations, including 
such that ask for active participation from the 
audience.

Critical Demonstrations co-chairs Martin Brynskov & Allan Hansen
Conference co-chairs: Susanne Bødker & Kim Halskov
Program co-chairs: Olav Bertelsen & Morten Kyng

Deadline: June 12 (short papers, critical demonstrations, doctoral colloquium).
Notification to authors: July 15.
Final version: August 1.

For further information and updates: http://www.aarhus2005.org.

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