Chloë Arkenbout
The Institute of Network Cultures (INC) is an applied science research unit inside the Digital Media and Creative Industries faculty of the Amsterdam University of Applied Science, focussed on critical internet research – giving equal attention to the artistic, political, and technical aspects of the web. I joined the INC core team as a Researcher & Editor in 2020. With my colleagues I work on the strategy, content and execution of our research projects. My personal research revolves around social movements and the technologies they use – from navigating the digital public sphere to political memes. I also co-edited the three INC Readers about critical meme research that were published in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Next to my role as a researcher at INC, I work as a teacher at the Communication and Multimedia Design program at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, where I help students to critically reflect on their digital designs, in the context of the society they live in and the future they would like to see. I have a background in both Media Studies and Philosophy, through a BA, pre-MA and MA, at the University of Amsterdam. Before this, I worked as a freelance Copywriter, Communications Consultant, and Journalist for multiple years, where I worked with clients in the cultural and social sectors such as 113 Zelfmoordpreventie, Amsterdam Art Weekend, Amsterdam Dance Event, COC Nederland, Gemeente Amsterdam, and Museumnacht Amsterdam.
In 2021 I started a project called The Digital Gutmensch. Since then it has shifted its focus to how emotional tensions within social movements are shaped by digital media, and is called Misdirected by Design now.
Blog entries in 2021-2022 are written from the Digital Gutmensch perspective. More info on this phase of the project can be found here: https://networkcultures.org/thedigitalgutmensch/2021/03/30/the-digital-gutmensch-the-ethics-of-challenging-oppressive-discourse-in-online-public-debate/