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VERTICAL ATLAS IS A NEW PUBLICATION ON THE GEOPOLITICS OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

How to navigate the rapidly changing digital geopolitics of the world today? How to make sense of digital transformations and their many social, political, cultural, and environmental implications at different locations around the world? Vertical Atlas brings together the insights of a diverse group of internationally renowned artists, scientists and technologists from different backgrounds and places. From an investigation into the lithium mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo to maps of the fiber-optic submarine cables in the Atlantic and the ride-hailing platforms of China.

Vertical Atlas is not a classic atlas that depicts the world in a uniform manner and it is not a collection of traditional maps. It is a set of tools that enable comparisons, connections, and the seeing of connections and contradictions between different and diverse visions, realities and techno-political worlds – through newly commissioned diagrams, interviews, essays and works of art by leading experts from around the world.

Contributors Sophia Al Maria, Heba Y. Amin, Lotte Arndt, Benjamin H. Bratton, Kévin Bray, James Bridle, Ingrid Burrington, Adriana Bustos, Ben Cerveny, Guo Cheng, Chimurenga, Cristina Cochior, Sounak Das, Data Justice Lab (Philippa Metcalfe, Fieke Jansen), Pablo DeSoto, Alexis Destoop, Marjolijn Dijkman, DISNOVATION.ORG, Maarten Vanden Eynde, Cao Fei, Shuang Lu Frost, Maya Indira Ganesh, Pélagie Gbaguidi, GCC Group, Geocinema (Asia Bazdyrieva, Solveig Qu Suess), John Gerrard, Oulimata Gueye, Camille Henrot, Femke Herregraven, Yuk Hui, Sanneke Huisman, Victoria Ivanova, Vladan Joler, Isaac Kariuki, Klaas Kuitenbrouwer, Francois Knoetze, Srinivas Kodali, Bogna Konior, Lukáš Likavčan, Abu Bakarr Mansaray, Svitlana Matviyenko, Emo de Medeiros, Metahaven, Dorine Mokha, Jean Katambayi Mukendi, Musasa, Katja Novitskova, Nanjala Nyabola, Trevor Paglen, Alice Piva, Chen ‘Stanley’ Qiufan, Nii Quaynor, Elia Rediger, Tabita Rezaire, Lucas Rolim, Bassem Saad, Nanjira Sambuli, Georges Senga, Nzilani Simu, Andrej Škufca, Ksenia Tatarchenko, Suzanne Treister, Unknown Fields, Jordi Vallverdú, Richard Vijgen, Sarah Waiswa, Zhan Wang, Kedolwa Waziri, Mi You, Qiu Zhijie, Dan Zhu

Editors Leonardo Dellanoce, Amal Khalaf, Klaas Kuitenbrouwer, Nanjala Nyabola, Renée Roukens, Arthur Steiner and Mi You

Vertical Atlas is the result of a four-year collaboration between the research department of Het Nieuwe Instituut and Hivos’ Digital Earth research fellowship for artists who investigate our current technological reality. The fellowship makes up the Experimentation and Learning component of Hivos’ program Resource of Open Minds (R.O.O.M.). It supports artists and critical content producers around the world who strive for openness and social change.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public by printing, photocopying, microfilm or by any other means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

The publisher has made every effort to acknowledge the copyright with regard to the illustrations included in this book. Anyone who nevertheless feels that their rights have been violated should contact the publisher. The copyright of artists affiliated with a CISAC-organization has been settled with Pictoright in Amsterdam.

Supported by Sida, Creative Industries Fund NL, New Silk Roads