Weightless Infrastructures

Abstract

Considered as an artistic medium, airwaves are not neutral, nor are they immaterial. The decision to broadcast is linked to the decision to activate electronic circuits. Radio holds both propagandistic and subversive potentials. But even the most experimental broad- or webcasts rely on electronic or digital technologies. Thus, responsible radio productions cannot shy away from a self-critical, and political positioning in this regard. What political implications does it have for radio art that transmission rests on a system of energy-consuming technologies? This question calls for a theorization that nuances the idea of podcasting as an ephemeral and intimate medium. This article proposes the term weightless infrastructures in rethinking satellites as atmospheric, free-floating and free-falling technological infrastructures. This notion is abbreviated and used interchangeably with the following terms: weightless technology, weightless hardware and free-floating infrastructure.