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decrystallization 2-day workshop with Ryan Jordan and Jonathan Kemp, London, May 27th - May 28th 2011
decrystallization began from the premise that while life itself starts from aperiodic crystals that encode infinite futures within a small number of atoms, the digital crystallization of the flesh by capital limits these futures to the point of exhaustion.
If computers and the minerals from which they are made are considered as equally crystalline, then their decrystallization is only possible through the introduction of vigorous and noisy positive feedback loops.
In Day One of the workshop participants destroyed laptop boards/components to recover some of their component minerals including copper/gold/silver through executing various volatile chemical processes. Although activities like these are often scaled to consolidate capital on Day Two the workshop participants playfully recomposed the recovered minerals in novel arrays that fed into the final nights salon event of gold/silver drinks and lo-no amp performances using re-purposed minerals by the participants and invited guests.
Day One
destroying computer boards
Using Aqua Regia (nitric/hydrochloric acids) to recover gold
Using nitric acid to recover gold and silver
