2019-05-02T17:00:00 SLUB Makerspace Regina M. Sipos Making is fascinating because it democratises technology, opens the „black box“ devices have become, gives people access to tools of self-empowerment and creates new opportunities through rapid prototyping and local manufacturing, potentially reviving rural areas. Critical making is a relatively new concept originally developed for engineering students. With roots in critical theory, it uses critical thinking, manifests itself in critical design, critical engineering and critical technical practice - and it is a very open and shapeable concept. It ranges from though-provoking engineering pieces (like Julian Oliver’s Harvest) to social innovations created by multidisciplinary teams of scientists, makers and citizens like terraforming volcanoes in Indonesia, the idea is to bring attention to or solve a societal problem. Like in the Wilderness Wireless workshop (http://wildernesswireless.org), making can create an opportunity to actively think about how society and technology can work together, reflect on power relations, access, or the lack of it, who makes and for whom and what intended and unintended effects the practice might have. At the same time, critical making might provide citizens with the right skills to take things into their own hands, develop appropriate solutions and improve the lives of their own communities. I will bring further examples and thought-provoking questions, but the main aim of this workshop is to bring together makers and hackers to share their practices, develop ideas and projects that they can then develop with their communities.