We are incredibly excited to welcome Tabitha Swanson to spend eight days with us in our new space, SOFTER Lab this April. Tabitha is a Berlin-based creative technologist, artist, and community organiser. During her residency, she’ll be bringing back her podcast SEEK/FIND, creating space for conversations about creativity, technology and beyond.
We had a little chat with her about her upcoming residency and her project SEEK/FIND, read more below:
What project and themes will you be working on during your residency?
I’ll be working on bringing back my podcast through my initiative SEEK/FIND. SEEK/FIND started in 2021 as a podcast to interview creatives as we were all stuck inside during covid lockdown. We were no longer able to come together to show what we were working on, exchange ideas, and just hang out. I wanted to highlight the work of my friends and the greater creative community by creating a platform for them to speak about their creative journey, purpose in life, personal philosophy, cultural commentary, and more.
During covid, we were jolted out of our daily bustle and habits, forced to sit with ourselves and redefine who we were and what we wanted out of life. We were all forced to grow and change, which can be scary. Intense periods of fast growth are often accompanied by grief, grief of the departure of a past self or a past life. With endings, new beginnings follow, and this led to people seeking out their new meaning and path.
There’s a bible verse I sometimes think about, Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
When we are in the process of seeking new meaning and exploration, we relinquish control and enter a state of vulnerability through openness. It’s a brave thing to do and when we seek, we ultimately do find (persistence is half the way). At the end of each podcast, I would always ask – “what are you seeking?" and "what have you found recently?” It was interesting to hear how people interpreted that question and what they said in response.
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I took a break from podcasting for a couple of years as the lockdown eased up and switched to more IRL events including: Behind the Seams (a fashion/tech panel talk) at The Hoxton, an AI Film Festival at Soho House Berlin, and an AI Soirée alongside Fotografiska. These events worked to create an environment where people could authentically speak about how they’re feeling about the current state of technology, creativity, and culture. The revival of this podcast will do the same <3
Why are these themes important?
So many online spaces are completely astroturfed. There are bots everywhere and algorithms filtering everything. I think more than ever, we’re craving real human interaction and honest conversations.
What do you hope to experience or learn from your residency?
I’m so excited to come back to podcasting after a multi-year break. In addition to giving me a space to host the podcast, Softer is bringing in a professional sound and recording person, which has never been my strong suit. I’m grateful for their support and interested to see where this project can go :)
About Tabitha
Tabitha Swanson is a Berlin-based creative technologist, artist, researcher, and community organiser. She is the founder of SEEK/FIND, a technology and purpose-driven community initiative and podcast. Her artistic practice centers around thresholds, opposites, spirituality, and echos.
Portrait by Laura Schaeffer