Hacking the Contradictions

Stéphanie Vidal

Contrary to most people’s belief, contradictions are an interesting and powerful tool for the thinking process. They are something we often encounter in our minds. For some people, contradictions are the ultimate roadblock, whereas for others they are a just a stage of their reflection. The latter group, when realizing they are stuck with an insoluble confrontation, find the strength to make a sidestep in order to move forward.

With a twist, a bounce, an awkward move, they are able to overtake the contradiction, to hack it and go beyond.

We are at the edge of a critical moment where aporia are not only rhetorical, but contradictions are systemic.

Having a close look at the digital media fields, we find those contradictions at the core issues of contemporary productions such as art, critical design, literature, code, technology, philosophy, economy...

Most of them are seeking for disruptive technology, social innovation, philosophical renewal: they can be called a sidestep.

Maybe freedom of thought, to make and move, appears when we are able to make a sidestep Maybe freedom is just the possibility to take a sidestep Maybe freedom means the power for the people to stay in control of their dreams despite the reality of the system Maybe freedom is the way we ethically manage internal and external contradictions to go beyond.