FRICTION CIRCUS

Tour LA

Drawing (edited): Carl Godlewski dressed as clown in Circus Renz, 1887

Mixed-media designers Roosje Klap and Luna Maurer introduce FRICTION CIRCUS, an international endeavor focusing on the digital future of design, technology, and mixed media.

With FRICTION CIRCUS, Luna and Roosje establish a family of design- and technology pioneers, where global peers can showcase their work and share expertise through a series of acrobatic exhibitions. Connecting more and more makers, architects, and entrepreneurs of digital culture in different cities, FRICTION CIRCUS is akin to a growing diamond that increasingly attracts makers of digital culture. The circus's central theme is a desire for reorientation, exploring how we want to engage with our digital future. They aim to reach a broad design-oriented audience with the circus and amplify the voices that are only sometimes heard in design and media.

The title is inspired by Luna Maurer and Roel Wouters's 2023 manifesto Designing Friction. Digital technology has long aimed to eliminate friction, striving for seamlessness while attempting to predict our behavior. Instead of our whole bodies, we use our fingertips to swipe screens, promising a frictionless world. Designing Friction is a techno-optimistic counter-argument, a call for connection in our increasingly technologized society.

During their research trip to Los Angeles between April 13 and 21, 2024, they will establish contacts with various artistic organizations, creative individuals, and cultural institutions to explore how these entities can contribute organizationally and financially to the circus and serve as a starting location. Additionally, two lecture-performances at USC Roski (15/4) and CalArts (16/4), will be performed and show Klap and Maurer merging their visions for the future of digital culture, by discussing the shift from individualistic models to collaborative ones, emphasizing the importance of every participant in the creative process.

FRICTION CIRCUS is kindly supported by Stimuleringsfonds and DutchCultureUSA.

Want to join the circus? Write an email to mail@designingfriction.com.