Kofi Oduro

The Offer Need Machine and Protocols of Care

Oduro’s interest in the Digital Economies Lab stemmed from his existing practice of blending analog forms (like poetry) with digital tools (like creative coding). He noted that the shift to digital platforms during the pandemic made discussions about artists’ unions, smart contracts, and platform design—initially buzzwords in the lab—suddenly urgent and universal.

The ONM emerged as a critical response to the lack of care and spontaneity in algorithm-driven online experiences (which Oduro dubbed “The Anti-Airbnb Experience”). The platform’s goal is to create a network for artists and cultural workers rooted in generous exchange and mutual care.

Redefining Value: Time, Trust, and Susu

A major challenge for the ONM was building trust and defining non-monetary value. Oduro argues that the platform needs a “care protocol”—a code of conduct for artists that moves beyond the typical “Terms of Service.”

He uses the frameworks of Secret Santa and the West African collective savings system Susu to model this generous exchange. Like Secret Santa, the exchange isn’t about outspending but about attentive listening and providing a meaningful, non-monetary gift.

The project attempts to undermine the capitalist model of remuneration by “reconsidering the value of an hour.” Oduro proposes that the value of the hour should be based on the receiver’s need (the “transaction of satisfaction”) rather than the monetary cost of the giver’s labor. This shifts the unit of time from being a burden of billing to a moment of mutual support, ultimately aiming for fairness over strict quantitative equality.

Digital Assimilation and Future Work

Oduro discusses the impact of digital assimilation and globalization on the arts ecosystem. While digital tools offer greater scalability (connecting artists globally), they also lead to an erosion of the local, increased feelings of imposter syndrome due to global competition, and the blurring of niche communities. He emphasizes that all creators exist within an ecosystem and need a “co-sign” or support to thrive.

His belief is that the ONM, by focusing on a “human scale” through its care protocol, is well-suited to the digital realm. It acts as a pollinator, germinating a culture of collective care that allows individual artists to blossom.

Oduro’s personal creative work continues this exploration of sensation and connection, as seen in his recent audio-visual album, “Colorscape,” where he uses creative coding to translate color values into music and is now exploring mixing taste and smell into the experience to maximize sensory connection both online and in hybrid physical spaces.