Representation of a high-purity silicon sphere meant to replace the current international kilogram prototype. Image courtesy of Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt.

On May 6, 2014, I organized VLC 001: 2014—Harmonization Bodies, an evening of presentations at the New School that delved into the phenomenon of standardization, pondered the power of measurement, reveled in interoperability, and reanimated the aesthetic forms that characterize—and act as conduits for—so many “recipes for reality.” The event was part of my 2013–15 fellowship at the Vera List Center for Art and Politics. I was joined by Sarah Demeuse, who discussed the relationship between the worlds we imagine in art and literature and the measurements we make with repeating circles and geometrical analysis; and Nader Vossoughian, who narrated the emergence of architectural standards in Germany in the 1930s. I spoke about the International Organization for Standardization and posed the question: Where do we position ourselves on the spectrum between control and freedom, and how can we tell where we are being positioned?