Databases perÂvaÂde our everÂyÂday life, they are involÂved in the individual’s most funÂdaÂmenÂtal actiÂviÂties. Through their near inviÂsiÂbiÂliÂty and resisÂtance to narÂraÂtiÂon they proÂduÂce subÂtÂle forms of collecÂtiÂve conÂtrol and norÂmaÂlizÂaÂtiÂon, accomÂpaÂnied by keyÂwords such as: mass surÂveilÂlanÂce, big data, user geneÂraÂted conÂtent, etc.
The publiÂcaÂtiÂon Search Routines: Tales of Databases enlarÂges on the topics disÂcusÂsed in the exhiÂbiÂtiÂon, the workÂshop and during the symÂpoÂsiÂum which took place at D21 Kunstraum and subÂlab hackerÂspace Leipzig in 2014. A seriÂes of interÂviews with Francis Hunger, Kernel, Pil and Galia Kollectiv and Sebastian Schmieg review artisÂtic straÂteÂgies like narÂraÂtiÂon or the transÂlaÂtiÂon of data and algoÂrithÂms to adress the inviÂsiÂbiÂliÂty of dataÂbaÂses. Reports from the workÂshops with Heath Bunting and WaiWai tell about the potenÂtiÂal of making the inviÂsiÂble visiÂble or simÂply of hiding oneself from the dataÂbaÂses’ ranÂge of view. The symÂpoÂsiÂum disÂcusÂses dataÂbaÂses from a socioÂloÂgiÂcal and culÂtuÂral sciÂence perÂspecÂtiÂve. In his artiÂcle, Francis Hunger reflects on dataÂbaÂses as infraÂstÂrucÂtures and points out signs that make the interÂacÂtion with a dataÂbaÂse visiÂble. By inquiÂring the hisÂtoÂriÂcal techÂniÂcal disÂcusÂsions on dataÂbaÂse-modeÂling, Marcus Burkhardt shows the inter-relaÂtiÂon of culÂtuÂral impliÂcaÂtiÂons with techÂniÂcal strucÂtures onto our underÂstanÂding and use of dataÂbaÂses today.