Black Box IO

QueerTech.io explores the idea of the black box and finds relevance across various domains, from technology and sociology to theatre. In tech terminology, a black box is understood as a system whose internal workings are too complex to describe, yet its input and output can be observed. Opening the black box sociologically involves delving into the intricacies of closed social systems. In theatre, a black box is a minimalist performance space that strips away the extraneous to focus on the essence of the performance. The QueerTech.io artist collective leverages these multifaceted interpretations of the black box. QueerTech.io seeks to demystify the often opaque digital creation process. Traditional digital media production typically hides the labour and intricate processes behind the final polished product. By inviting visitors into the black box, QueerTech.io aims to make the labour of digital making visible and participatory. This act of "making as performance" transforms the creation process into a public spectacle, where visitors become part of the evolving digital artwork. QueerTech.io, a collective of Melbourne-based queer-identifying new media artists, explores the intersections of queer identity and technology. Since 2018, they have created over sixty digital media artworks by queer artists from around the globe, pushing the boundaries of #queertech creative practices.