A couple of decades ago, it seemed like technology would offer a new wave of freedoms, a more interconnected society that would allow for collaboration and coalition. However, big tech corporations and governments obsessed with control and surveillance seem to have hindered those false promises. But there’s still room to fight. Parallel Society is a testament to that. In their upcoming Lisbon edition, taking place on 6th and 7th March in the Portuguese capital’s Marvila neighbourhood, the event will bring together hacktivism, practical technology, and cultural pioneers to “explore and reimagine society for the digital age.”
So far, the non-profit event, run by a coalition of allied groups including Logos, Tor Project, MoneroKon, Charter Cities Institute, ZuGramma, dEdu, Delta Y, and Kleros, among others, has confirmed a lineup of talent that brings together names such as Apparat, Gilles Peterson, Clark, Moses Boyd, Calibre and Kode9.
Speaking of the event’s approach, Louisa Haining, Curation Director, says: “We believe culture and festivals should serve people, not corporations. Parallel Society is built as a commons: an open space where underground sound, grassroots creativity, and new cultural and technological imaginaries can thrive. With talent of this depth and diversity, both local and international, the event feels like the human expression of the technologies we build.” That’s why for their Portuguese edition, Parallel Society has been co-curated with “a coalition of Lisbon-based cultural organisations” including Fábrica Moderna, Rare Effect, and Manja, drawing on their communities and perspectives “to form a truly collective programme.”
The first day is presented as an ‘[un]conference’ focused “on nurturing and expanding the technologies, tooling, and cultures that are central to Logos’ mission,” and it will feature a series of talks, discussion circles, protocol labs, hackspaces, workshops, co-design sprints, and experimental sessions. The second day will transform the event into a “community-focused cultural celebration” and include performances by artists like Kode9, Calibre, Moses Boyd, Apparat, Maria Amor, Nelson Makossa, Collective Unconscious, Chima Isaaro, and Afrojamslx.
