Meatspace
The analog to cyber
I’ve spent the last several weeks deeply engaged in Meatspace. You know, that space consisting of real people, real food, and real discussion. I have been overwhelmed, bored, sunburned, cold, hot, hungry, full, and pleasantly buzzed a few times too. My journey has covered 10s of thousands of miles, climates, and spaces. From prime cuts to intestines and glands, I have not always liked each moment as much as another but each contributed to refining my palette and my preferences.
My time and efforts have not been without evidential artifacts - tangible realities. I’m not referring to dopamine driven attention targeting social media but tangible realities. Works of critical effort. The Athanor Manifesto is the output from deep engagement in the Meatspace where corporeal engagement and enjoyment was fueled with an abundance of food, drink, and thought. Montevideo Tech Ventures and Alchemy co-produced an innovation retreat to shift the trajectory of the conversations. Practically, there is a line that extends from LA → NYC → LON around which global media revolves. Throw in another point and the ‘best fit’ line shifts. Include MVD into that mix and the shift is profound or an outlier.
When one looks at data there may be a tendency to toss out those anomalies, those points far removed from the majority to simplify conclusions or normalize the system. Sometimes this is warranted. If an experimental apparatus failed or a procedural step was missed throwing out that iteration might make sense. However, as history has shown us - sometimes those ‘mistakes’ provide an innovation that changes everything. This intentionality of being an outlier was baked into the event and was, as the Manifesto states “by design.”
Ultimately, time will determine whether the Athanor manifesto succeeds in bending the media technology ‘curve’. In the meantime I’ll continue my Flâneuring ways. Happy to seek out meaningful interactions. To contribute where I can and thankful to meet those along the way.