CHT/Totalism.org
CHT/Totalism.org established in 2011 as “CHT#1*”, a house in Lanzarote (Canary Islands/Spain). The original hackbase*: a coliving hacklab. It hosted >150 people that stayed an average of 2 weeks. It collaboratively documented itself as a “Type 1” hackbase*, including the house manual*, a financial model*, an architectural manifesto*, etc — setting off a consistent and accelerating pace of authoring. The project also assembled an initial commons of equipment*, which was taken onto its next iteration as a “Type 2” base* in 2014: an off-grid operation. More organizationally and infrastructurally challenging, scalable, generally replicable, eco, cheaper … Ultimately, more transformative and inclusive.
Throughout this time, CHT/Totalism.org has been roughly 50% on-site, 50% on-tour. Public presentations, hack and writing sessions were held in Brussels at IMAL, Medialab Prado & Transeuropa in Madrid, Berlin at Anthropocene Campus & Spektrum, Poortgebouw in Rotterdam, CCC congresses in Hamburg and Leipzig, XM24 Bologna, amongst countless hackerspaces and online channels.
The project acquired a large transporter* in 2016, and built it into a mobile living unit / media lab / cinema / bio-lab / studio capable platform — shapeshifting to a “Type 4” base*.
As of 2021:
CHT/Totalism.org is an expanse of thousands of interlinked pieces of living written, intermedia & sensor documentation, software specs & code*, and infrastructure equipment, held together as a multi-faceted hypermedia & resource compendium, and affiliated with a growing number of hack, art, activist and theory collectives.
The project’s material instance has moved on to the Fuerteventura* island. We are on-site during the pandemic & continue to further the common infrastructure, develop new strategies for non-mainline subsistence and labour, and encourage the spread and consolidation of similar efforts.