Permacomputing: Fermenting Regenerative Aesthetics (lgm2025)

Images created with digital graphic techniques have played a central role in promoting the seemingly endless growth of a computing culture that many of us now recognize as extractive, polluting and exploitative. Beyond that, something that once promised a utopian future now feels like it has delivered a rather crappy, disappointing reality. FLOSS has undoubtedly played some role in this development, but it also holds a great potential as part of a shift in imagination to new practices and aesthetics that are more verdant, just and humane. This presentation will propose the concept of "Permacomputing" as a useful lens to consider the role of FLOSS in developing alternative practices. Permacomputing is both a concept and a community of practice oriented around issues of resilience and regenerativity in computer and network technology inspired by permaculture. We will start with a brief introduction to the concepts and emerging projects around these ideas. With these notions in mind, we can then examine how some of the existing practices of Libre Graphics might inspire or give relevant support to newer, more holistic ways of working. And finally, we will look at some specific examples of software development, education and image making using the generative flora of computing within limits. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ about this event: https://pretalx.c3voc.de/lgm25-upstream-2025/talk/4048563567/