What if we kissed under the watchful eye of the surveillance state?

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DOES is a hacking, design, research and consultancy practice exploring the potentials of functional and digital identities in different scales and media. Formed by a team of designers and researchers, it works in the ever-changing-material-world in which our bodies are constantly interacting. We combine design, research, academic, curatorial and editorial activities in order to develop concepts that lie at the intersection between material and technology, body and mind.

The aim of our practice is to validate new paradigms for identity ambiguity, multiplicity and fluidity, using biometric artificial intelligence systems and technologies of control as tools for free identity expression, definition and personal proclamation. Our approach is based on the following: before the appearance of biometric artificial intelligence, we could only explore and express our physical identities, and consequently confront its limited, non-inclusive and discriminatory classifications. Now, with the appearance of these technologies we can also explore, express and design our digital identities under our own parameters – not only a singular identity, in fact, but multiple ones. Regarding identity, we found plenty of other biometric artificial intelligences that will always open up new opportunities and scenarios due to the fact that they exist. If a company, state or service creates or needs a technology for any identity-control related activity, that means that they will need to see, to detect, to generate and validate an identity. The act of analysing someone in order to extract information and generate an identification requires a system that, with time and knowledge, can be controlled, amplified and overexposed, exploiting its potential and benefiting from its provided opportunities, designing justice even if it was never intended to help us in that way. In relation to biometric artificial technologies it seems clear that every effort to spy, surveil and control the human body can turn out into a new method or tool to design and express our own identities and, by doing so, establish new challenges, paradigms, interactions, values, solutions and expressions of digital individuals and virtual communities.

DOES works under the labels:
Beauty
Pharma
Tech
Social

DOES work has been published in several academic and creative platforms such as MIT Press, DIS or DRS. We also have published some academic articles: About being an “influencer” or how to exploit the tool of the oppressor for our own expression (2023), Designing hair (2022) and Exploring the Potential of Apple Face ID as a Drag, Queer and Trans Technology Design Tool (2021).

Previous clients and collaborators include, amongst others: Unicef, Sónar, Sónar+D, Creative Europe (ECEA), MADE (Material Designers), Domestic Data Streamers, MIRA Digital Arts Festival, Lobster Theremin Record Label, Elisava Research, Eurecat Technology Centre and Materfad Materials Centre.

DOES has exhibited its work in London, Milan, Hong Kong, Paris and New York, amongst other places. DOES is based in L'Hospitalet (Barcelona), working worldwide.

Saúl Baeza is DOES Creative Director, VISIONS BY Founder and Editor-in-chief, MAYBE Director and VIBE content director. While lecturing at Elisava Barcelona University of Design and Engineering he also researches functional and digital identities with the "Future Everyday" Research Group (TU Eindhoven Research) and "Futures Now" Research Group (Elisava Research). He has been visiting professor and lecturer at international universities, educational institutions and cultural venues such as Harvard GSD, Central Saint Martins and London College of Communication (UAL), Institute for advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), RMIT University Melbourne, Rhode Island School of Design, Pascual Bravo University in Medellín (Colombia), Sónar+D, Victoria&Albert Museum, CCCB and DHUB, among others.

OTHER INITIATIVES BY DOES INCLUDE:

MAYBE: Born out of possibilities, MAYBE is a 21st century laboratory that addresses, researches and implements today’s and tomorrow’s social and cultural challenges and works across culture, technology, design, ecology and society. MAYBE is a strategic consultancy and R&D lab that explores cultural content, community exchange and hybrid experiences. We address present and future challenges to promote change and active environments. We explore new phygital and activism formats to create and comprehend multi-platform experiences that expand the scope for participation and reflection for new young voices and perspectives.

VISIONS BY: a knowledge platform with an annual magazine that addresses the different perspectives on materiality and material cultures from a critical and speculative research focus. It aims at generating awareness through materials beyond their physical properties and at considering materials as a new entitled discipline emerging from a design context. VISIONS BY is a magazine designed by Oficina de disseny (Ariadna Serrahima, Diego Bustamante and Katharina Hetzeneder) and has recently won a Silver ADGFAD LAUS Award - Periodic Publication Category (2021) and a Bronze ADCE (Art Directors Club of Europe) 2021. VISIONS BY Issue No. 3 is out now, published from now on by Onomatopee

VIBE: an experimental platform for cultural content, community exchange and hybrid experiences that explores new ways of consuming culture. Anchored on megatrends such as mixed realities, gaming and participatory entertainment, VIBE is physically deployed through the interactions between body, space and audio-visual. VIBE (CREA2020 winning project) is a cross-sectoral innovation initiative led by Laura Clèries and Saúl Baeza, co-funded by Creative Europe (EACEA) for the creation and implementation of a new multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral cultural platform.

FOLLOW OUR WORK ON INSTAGRAM: @does.work
GET IN TOUCH: info@does-work.com

Newsletter

Exhibitions

ACTIVE ACTIVISM ACT. Sónar+D. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2023.

Terra Rhapsody. CCCB.
Barcelona, Spain. Oct, 2022.

VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. Mexico Presentation at Casa Bosques. Mexico City. Oct, 2022.

VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. New York Presentation at Bungee Space. New York. Oct, 2022.

VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. Harvard (GSD) Presentation. Boston, Massachusetts. Oct, 2022.

"Why am I always hot?" at Sónar 2022. Sónar+D, Stage+D. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2022.

VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. Madrid Presentation. Installation by Casa Antillón. Words by Saúl Baeza and Toni Navarro. Madid, Spain. Apr, 2022.

ACTIVE ACTIVISM ACT. Visions by Experience. IDEAL Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain. Apr, 2022.

Aimy's Birthday Party. Sónar +D, L'Hospitalet Cultural District, L'H Education + Innovation + Cultural department. Torre Barrina. L'Hospitalet, Spain. Nov, 2021.

Surface Tension Virtual Exhibition. London Design Festival. Sep, 2021.

VISIONS BY 1 + 2 (Silver ADGFAD LAUS Award, Periodic Publication Category) + Understanding L'Hospitalet (ADI Culture award by ADI-FAD). The Best Design of the Year. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2021.

SurfaceTensionWorld. Online Exhibition. May, 2021.

Dominnico. Hair direction. Fall 21/22. Online fashion film. Apr, 2021.

'Material Practices'. Future Living Environments. ArcInTex + Aucklands University of Technology, New Zealand. Mar, 2021.

VISIONS BY at Materia Gris Exhibition. CentroCentro. Madrid, Spain. Feb, 2021

Our garden Needs Its Flowers. Tecla Sala. L'Hospitalet, Spain. Feb, 2021.

Unnoticed Identities. MIRA Digital Arts Festival. Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2019.

Premeditated Murder. Abaixadors 10. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2019.

Understanding L'Hospitalet. Understanding Design. Milan Design Week. Milan, Italy. Apr, 2019.

ROUTE Senegal. Barcelona, Spain. Mar, 2019.

VISIONS BY. Issue nº 1 Exhibition. Barcelona, Spain. Feb, 2018.

La noche de los jueves. SOCIEDAD 0. Moneo Brock. Madrid, Spain. Dic, 2018.

VISIONS BY. Issue nº 1 Exhibition. Dutch Design Week. Eindhoven, Netherlands. Oct, 2018.

(Curator) New Realities. Understanding Design, Barcelona, Spain. May, 2018.

(Curator) Ettore Sottsass. Galeria DADA, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2017.

Substantial Self. Materials Farms, Materfad. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2017.

(Curator) W.I.P. Understanding Design. Galeria DADA, Barcelona, Spain. May, 2017.

Time Machine. UNICEF, United Nations Building. New York, United States. Sept, 2016.

People At Work. Casa Camper, Barcelona, Spain. Dec, 2016.

The Best Design of the Year. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2016.

Next Design Innovation. Barcelona Design Week. Spain. Jun, 2016.

Next Design Innovation. Milano Design Week, Italy. Apr, 2016.

Poder Ser. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain.
Dec, 2015.

Independent Design. Business Of Design Week, Hong Kong, China.
Dec, 2015.

Nowhere. The Future of Fashion Program. NJAL, París, France. Sep, 2015.

Alpine Basics. Barcelona, Spain. Dec, 2015.

Salone del Mobile.Ventura Lambrate, Milan, Italy. Apr, 2014.

The Best Design of the Year. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2013.

Talks

"AAA". Kitchen Talks. Museumsquartier Bern. Bern, Switzerland. Mar, 2024.

"Facts are just context, it is scary". ENE Lecture Series. Phygital Experiences and Environments. Rhode Island School of Design. Rhode Island, EEUU. Mar, 2024.

VISIONS BY - Issue No. 4. Onomatopee Projects. Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Feb, 2024.

AI & education. Lliçó Inaugural. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. Oct, 2023.

Artificial Border. AI, Art and Creativity. Poblenou Urban District. DHUB. Barcelona, Spain. May, 2023

Exploiting the tool of the oppressor for our own expression. GSMA L'H MWC. L'Hospitalet, Spain. Mar, 2023.

VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. Mexico Presentation at Casa Bosques. Mexico City. Oct, 2022.

VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3 Tour. New York Presentation at Bungee Space. New York. Oct, 2022.

VISIONS BY. Harvard Graduate School of Design. Boston, Massachusetts. Oct, 2022.

No va a quedar nada de todo esto. ESDA, Zaragoza, Spain. Sep, 2022.

Hora Model. Ecology and design. Takk Architects + Saúl Baeza. Model. Barcelona Architecture Festival. May, 2022.

AAA Talk 2 - Saúl Baeza + Matthew (Afffirmations). IG Live. Apr, 2022.

AAA Talk 1 - Saúl Baeza + Samantha Hudson + Mar Vallverdú (Radio Primavera Sound). IG Live. Apr, 2022.

VISIONS BY - Issue No. 3. Casa Antillón. Madrid, Spain. Mar, 2022.

DOES. Puro Futuro. Radio Relativa. Online. Mar, 2022.

Functional and digital Identities. Master In Design for Emerging Futures. IAAC + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Mar, 2022.

Aimy DOES Work. Smart City Expo World Congress 2021. Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2021.

Digital Surgery Aesthetics. Sónar. Sónar+D at CCCB. Barcelona + Online. Oct, 2021.

XREDU | Immersive Technologies in education. IDEAL Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain. Oct, 2021.

Nomadic Box. Round Table. MDEFEST, Exploring alternative presents. Master In Design for Emerging Futures. IAAC + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. June, 2021.

Decolonising Futures in Design Education. Fuel4Design. UAL, Politecnico, AHO, Elisava. May, 2021.

"Face to Face" with Saúl Baeza and Ariel Guerzenvaig. AI and Facial Recognition. Aha Radio. May, 2021.

Disobedience. Ciberlocutorio at Radio Primavera Sound. Dec, 2020.

Identity: Form, function, technology and ethics. IX International Symposium. Pascual Bravo University. Medellín, Colombia. Nov, 2020.

Round table on the crisis in the fashion industry, face masks as a complement and new sustainable consumption habits. #tardeo at Radio Primavera Sound. Jun, 2020.

"From Recens Paper to Wallet: Print publishing, fashion Criticism and the powers involved." - Elise by Olsen in conversation with Saúl Baeza. Elisava, Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2019.

How Digital Technology is Disrupting the Fashion System. II Fashion Design Symposium. Round Table. LCI University. Barcelona, Spain. May, 2019.

VISIONS BY. Material Futures Master, Central Saint Martins. London, England. May, 2019.

Unpacking the consequences of Digital Identities. Adidas Speaker Series. Laces Building, Nuremberg, Germany. Apr, 2019.

DOES. Master In Design for Emerging Futures. IAAC + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Mar, 2019.

Matter, technology, body, identity. Teixit(s). Montserrat Abelló Library. Mar, 2019

"Understanding the role of identity and embodied behaviour in the context of emerging scenarios". The Revolution of Spaces, IKEA + La Casa Encendida. Madrid, Spain. Feb, 2019.

VISIONS BY. Dutch Design Week. Eindhoven, Netherlands. Oct, 2018.

(Curator) New Realities. Understanding Design. Palo Alto, Barcelona, Spain. May, 2018.

(Curator) Talent Lab. (Norman Foster Foundation, Puig, FormUsWithLove. MaterFAD, DHUB. Barcelona, Spain.

Substantial Self. The Materials Farm, DHUB. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2018.

(Curator) Understanding Design. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. May, 2017.

Archintex. Elisava, Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2017.

What is DOES About? Recrea Design Festival. Valladolid, Spain. Oct, 2017.

Wear Sustain. Canòdrom Creative Research Park. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2017.

Smart Textiles. DHUB, Barcelona, Spain. Jan, 2017.

The New Wool. DEMO Futures. DEMO Festival, Barcelona, Spain. May, 2016.

HUNCH. ESDIssabte. ESDI, Barcelona, Spain. Mar, 2016.

Digital Culture in Arts and Design. CIRQUIT 2. Eina, Barcelona, Spain.
Mar, 2016.

Barcelona Service Jam. Barcelona, Spain. Feb, 2016.

HUNCH. DEMO Futures. DEMO Festival, Barcelona, Spain. May 2015.

Workshops

About editing. Master Beyond Products, Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Apr, 2024.

Exploring the potentials of Apple Face ID as a Drag, Queer and Transtechnology Design Tool. ESDA Zaragoza. Zaragoza, Spain. May, 2023.

Material narratives at La Bisbal. Master in Design through New Materials. Elisava. La Bisbal, Spain. Nov, 2022.

Material narratives at L'H. Master in Design through New Materials. Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Jun, 2022.

Navire Avenir. A Ship for the Mediterranean. Perou + Civic City + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Jan, 2022.

Aimy DOES Work. Smart City Expo World Congress 2021. Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2021.

Material narratives at L'H. Master in Design through New Materials. Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Apr, 2021.

Powers of hair. DOES Salon. Master in Design through New Materials. Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Apr, 2021.

Ideas for Humanity: a Cookbook for Planetary Health. Global Design Studio. London College of Communication (UAL) + RMIT University Melbourne + Elisava. Feb + Mar, 2021.

Exploring Hybrid Profiles in Design. Master In Design for Emerging Futures. IAAC + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2020.

Unnoticed Identities. MIRA Digital Arts Festival. Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2019.

Materials Culture. Master in Design through New Materials. La Bisbal Ceramic School. Girona, Spain. Oct, 2019.

Mr/Ms/Other Potato Head. Festa del Grafisme. Portbou, Spain. Sep, 2019.

ROUTE Senegal. Senegal, Africa. Jul, 2019.

VISIONS BY. Material Futures Master, Central Saint Martins. London, England. May, 2019.

The Human Upgrade Movement. Adidas Maker Lab. Nuremberg, Germany. Apr, 2019.

ROUTE Senegal. Senegal, Africa. Jul, 2018.

Decoding European Creative Skills. TU Eindhoven + FH Salzburg + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Apr, 2017.

Substantial Self. The Materials Farm, MaterFad. Barcelona, Spain. Elisava, Jun, 2017.

Soft Interactions. L'École de design Nantes Atlantique + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Feb, 2018.

Body As Interface. Prospect, LCI Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain. Mar, 2017.

Wearable Technology. Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, Zwolle, Netherlands + Elisava. Barcelona, Spain. Feb, 2017.

Problems and Solutions Department. Elisava + London Digital week. Victoria & Albert Museum. London, England. Sept, 2016.

Textile Limits. Out of metrics + Miguel Adrover. Mazda Space, Barcelona, Spain. Nov, 2015.

collaborators

Tai Sans
Arnau Anglada
Alba Eiriz
Lorena G. Ortiz
Sociedad 0
Oficina de disseny
Laura Clèries
David Varhegyi
Marta Soldevila
Diego Ramos
Victor Betriu
David Haro
Inés Sistiaga
Mariona Den Tuinder

Credits

Graphic design:
Albert Romagosa

Coding:
arturu.com

Copyright:
All rights reserved 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.