BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:27918@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:The Power of Platforms and Maps DTSTAMP:20260928T235029Z DTSTART:20261029T140000Z DTEND:20261029T163000Z DESCRIPTION:At a moment when digital infrastructures are increasingly entan gled with\ngeopolitical tensions\, economic concentration\, and the rapid expansion of AI\, it\nis urgent to reconsider how power operates through t he platforms and interfaces\nthat organise everyday life. Bringing togethe r two recent books—Platforms: A\nCritical Introduction by Anne Helmond and Fernando van der Vlist and Maps as\nMedia by Alex Gekker—\, we'll open up a broader discussion on the politics of\ndigital systems. Both works will be situated within a shared inquiry into how\nplatforms and spatial media shape contemporary culture\, economies\, and\ngovernance\, in the form of a panel discussion featuring leading local scholars.\n\nDigital platforms have\, over the past two decades\, evolved from relatively\nbounded servi ces into expansive ecosystems that structure markets\, public\ndiscourse\, and social interaction. At the same time\, digital maps have\ntransformed from representational tools into active media that guide movement\,\norga nise labour\, and embed forms of surveillance and personalisation into\nev eryday navigation. Bringing these perspectives into dialogue highlights ho w\nplatformisation and spatial media converge in practices of datafication \,\ninfrastructural control\, and the subtle exercise of power.\n\nThe pro gramme opens with short presentations introducing key concepts and\nargume nts\, followed by a moderated panel discussion with invited scholars and\n respondents. Together\, they will reflect on themes including platform pow er\,\n“casual” forms of influence\, digital labour\, data governance\, and the emerging\nrole of AI in reshaping both platforms and mapping technolo gies.\n\nBy connecting critical platform studies with research on mapping interfaces and\nspatial media\, this event invites students\, researchers\ , and a wider audience to\nengage with the infrastructures that increasing ly organise how we see\, navigate\,\nand act in the world.\n\nPatforms: A Critical Introduction\n[https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=p latforms-a-critical-introduction--9781509568109]\nand Maps as Media\n[http s://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=maps-as-media--9781509550128] \nwere both published in 2026 with Polity Press.\n\n\nPROGRAMME\n\n15:00 B ook presentations\, panel discussion and Q&A\n16:30 Drinks\n17:30 End\n\n\ nPRACTICAL INFORMATION\n\nThis event is free and open to everyone. We do a sk that you register in advance.\nThe event will take place at VOX-POP (gr ound floor)\, Binnengasthuisstraat 9. URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/the-power-of-platforms-and-maps GEO:52.3690637;4.894763 LOCATION:VOX-POP - Binnengasthuisstraat 9\, 1012 ZA Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:amsterdam-centrum,books,burgwallen,discussion,q&a X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:At a moment when digital infrastructures are i ncreasingly entangled with geopolitical tensions, economic concentration, and the rapid expansion of AI, it is urgent to reconsider how power operat es through the platforms and interfaces that organise everyday life. Bring ing together two recent books—Platforms: A Critical Introduction by Anne H elmond and Fernando van der Vlist and Maps as Media by Alex Gekker—, we'll open up a broader discussion on the politics of digital systems. Both wor ks will be situated within a shared inquiry into how platforms and spatial media shape contemporary culture, economies, and governance, in the form of a panel discussion featuring leading local scholars.

Digital p latforms have, over the past two decades, evolved from relatively bounded services into expansive ecosystems that structure markets, public discours e, and social interaction. At the same time, digital maps have transformed from representational tools into active media that guide movement, organi se labour, and embed forms of surveillance and personalisation into everyd ay navigation. Bringing these perspectives into dialogue highlights how pl atformisation and spatial media converge in practices of datafication, inf rastructural control, and the subtle exercise of power.

The program me opens with short presentations introducing key concepts and arguments, followed by a moderated panel discussion with invited scholars and respond ents. Together, they will reflect on themes including platform power, “cas ual” forms of influence, digital labour, data governance, and the emerging role of AI in reshaping both platforms and mapping technologies.

B y connecting critical platform studies with research on mapping interfaces and spatial media, this event invites students, researchers, and a wider audience to engage with the infrastructures that increasingly organise how we see, navigate, and act in the world.

Patforms: A Critical Introduction and Maps as Media were both published i n 2026 with Polity Press.

Programme

15:00 Book presen tations, panel discussion and Q&A
16:30 Drinks
17:30 End

< h2>Practical information

This event is free and open to everyone. We do ask that you register in advance. The event will take place at VOX-P OP (ground floor), Binnengasthuisstraat 9.

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