Technology has been playing an important role in this new wave of protests, from Arab Spring to Occupy Central. Backslash is a series of functional devices designed for protests of the future. Created through the lens of critical design, Backslash aims to retain the right to connect in protest sites, and riots situations through creative use of technologies for communication.

Pedro G. C. Oliveira is a Brazilian Art Director and Interactive Designer based in New York City, currently a research resident at the Interactive Telecommunications Program in NYU. His work history combines experiences in visual-effects, graphic design and motion graphics, interfaces and applications, interactive installations and code-generated art pieces. It is his strong belief, that creative solutions should be merged with technological resources and information not only in the name of innovation, but also to stimulate human potential and to improve human relations. Xuedi Chen is a Brooklyn-based designer and educator whose multi-disciplinary work spans the world of embedded electronics, industrial design, architecture, fashion, robotics and installation. She embraces the intersection of the digital and physical with a passion towards innovative use of materials, methods, and technologies.

Backslash is a space to research the relationship between protests and technology, cultivating dialog about freedom of expression, riots and disruptive tech. It explores the colorful global culture of dissent and challenges the role of technology in protests of the future with special interest in the technologies that could help to start this conversation. Backslash critically examines current parameters to expose the imbalance, implant questions and start a conversation about the tense relationship between technology and protest.