The Models on show in Madrid

The Models, the interactive audiovisual installation curated by Sineglossa and developed by the London-based duo dmstfctn during an artistic residency at the Tecnopolo di Bologna, after its first public presentation at Tecnopolo di Bologna during ART CITY 2025, will be exhibited in Madrid at the contemporary art space SOLO CSV, thanks to a collaboration with Onkaos. 

The Models was born from a challenge posed by Sineglossa on the topic of fake news and the fascination they hold over people. The duo dmstfctn decided to combine wonder and truth through an installation that, drawing on the cultural heritage of the Museums of the Emilia-Romagna Region, brings to life digital masks animated in a 3D engine, capable of improvising an endless series of theatrical sketches in the style of Commedia dell’Arte. They are guided by artificial intelligence models refined by the artists using the Leonardo Supercomputer—models that, with texts inspired by classical archetypes, create characters that confabulate, invent truths, repeat voices, or make trivial mistakes. These characters display the tendency of Large Language Models to sometimes behave deceitfully and antagonistically, while at other times being overly friendly or servile. The masks, given voice through text-to-audio technology, react to audience input, who can interact with the work via their smartphones by introducing stage objects representing superstitions and conspiracy theories, stimulating and guiding improvisation.

The Models is produced in collaboration with CINECA and ART-ER, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, under the patronage of the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Bruno Kessler Foundation, and funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan Mission 1 – Digitization, Innovation, Competitiveness, and Culture, Component 3 – Tourism and Culture 4.0 (M1C3), Measure 3.3 Support for the cultural and creative sectors for innovation and digital transition. The inauguration took place within ART CITY Bologna 2025 during ARTEFIERA and is part of the program The Next Real – exhibitions, talks, and workshops dedicated to the relationship between art and artificial intelligence, organized by Sineglossa in Bologna until June 2025.