subRosa Manifesto

"Let a million subRosas bloom!"

The SubRosa Manifesto is a foundational document by subRosa, an art and activist collective that explores the intersections of feminism, biotechnology, information technology, and capitalist economies.

The manifesto outlines the collective's mission, values, and approach to creating feminist interventions in these areas.

It serves as both a critique of oppressive systems and a call to action for transformative,
creative resistance.

The manifesto envisions feminist uses of technology to create networks of solidarity,
alternative economies, and liberatory practices.

“Brainy and approachable, hilarious, disturbing and reassuring” - (Rebecca Jordan-Young, 2019)

Intersectional Feminism: 

emphasizes the need to address how systems of oppression — such as patriarchy,
capitalism, racism, and heteronormativity — intersect


Reproductive technology and reproductive justice:

- reimagines feminist theories about women’s bodies, sexuality, and reproduction,
focusing on how they are reshaped by global shifts in labor, migration, and
advances in biomedical and genetic technologies


Critical approach towards Bio-Capitalism:

challenges institutionalized power structures and seeks systemic change with critizing
capitalism, neoliberalism, and bio-technologies for exploiting women’s labor, bodies
and identities

Key Points of the Manifesto

“Yes, their works seem to say, it really is as bad as you think and no you are not alone noticing it” - (Rebecca Jordan-Young,2019)

technologies like digital networks or biotechnologies are used to exploit women's bodies,
labor and identities:

Cyberfeminism

Smart Mom

The Problem - Women's resistance to the Cyborg Adaptions:

- women’s bodies have been resistant to machinic adaptation or medical regulation
- Too unpredictable due to flow of menstrual cycles, hormones, moods, libido, weight loss or gain, ovulation, pregnancy and fertility
- have severely tested scientific control and management methods



The Solution - SmartMom Pregnancy Technologies:

- envisions a future where biotechnology and genetic engineering enable complete control over women’s pregnancies through remote monitoring and intervention
- This system allows reproduction to occur in extreme or remote environments while ensuring embryos are genetically engineered to adapt, benefiting military and civilian applications, and enabling full surveillance and manipulation of surrogate mothers



The Product - the SmartMom sensate pregnancy dress:

- The Smart Maternity Dress uses military technology to monitor a pregnant woman’s body, tracking things like heartbeat, blood pressure, and even emotions
- It connects to a surverillance system, letting doctors remotely watch both the mother
and baby in detail

https://sfonline.barnard.edu/reprotech/subrosa_01.htm
http://cyberfeminism.net/
http://home.refugia.net/portfolio/how-much-is-your-flesh-worth/
http://home.refugia.net/portfolio/smartmom/
https://net.art-generator.com/

Sources: