ELİŞİ NET: TEKNO KADIN VE YENİ MATERYALiZM

Abstract

This practice-based research thesis investigated women's craft and digital technology that has been gendered historically. This project developed a new methodology as opposed to following the dominant patriarchal and capitalist narrative. It was practiced by using multiple techniques with both craft and current technology. This art practice methodology offers a fictional space that is interconnecting, liquid, soft, slow, and holistic. This practice glorifies handicraft, which is defined as women's craft, and it aims to perform digital applications as craft and explores the possibilities of this in practice. Another reason for addressing this issue is to unearth the historical relationship of women with objects and materials and to re-evaluate today's material and technology against sexist marginalization and devaluation created through feminized material. This, on the other hand, opens up space for developing new methods with the opportunities it provides for art production while reconstructing personal relationships with today's material and technology. Thus, it is possible to create a mindful and soft digital space despite the hyper-masculine, toxic, brutal digitalization based entirely on speed and power imposed on us today. It is time to construct a cyber society for today and future as the distinction between cyberspace and physical life has melted away. Therefore, it is not possible for the destructive patriarchy to cope with the anthropocentric hegemony towards nature and object without answering the question of gender and race, which are part of posthuman theories. This dissertation hopes to re-cultivate, reap and sprout our relationship with new material with consciousness and resistance, despite all the anthropocentric, sexist, racist, speciesist, discriminatory, and classist structures that feed on the same basis.