A three-year investigation into how the accelerated, yet at times unconsidered adoption of new technologies – such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain and algorithmic processing – can alter or undermine democratic processes
Led by Ars Electronica, European Digital Deal is promoted by a network of 13 cultural European organizations, of which Sineglossa is the Italian partner.
Through a myriad of programs running from January 2023 to December 2025, we want to set up a new kind of public forum where cultural institutions, artists, researchers, and educators gather to reflect on what a deal that safeguards democratic values in the digital realm might look like, and the role they can play in shaping it.
Art and debunking
The issue of debunking is today at the center of the European debate on the media, with a view to countering disinformation, especially in relation to the anti-scientific sentiment that has spread further following the Covid-19 epidemic. The basic assumption is that fighting mystification through a paternalistic attitude, which drops information up down, fails to have an impact on an uninformed and skeptical audience: artists can use their ability to generate scenarios to engage audiences through an ethical and creative use of data. Wu Ming 1, the member of an Italian writers’ collective, wrote the book “La Q di Qomplotto”, which explains the role of conspiracy theories in our society.
Open call for artists
The call for artists launched by the project is open from Sept. 28 to Nov. 30. Sineglossa takes part with the challenge “The Enchantment of Truth”: how can artists challenge misinformation and misinformation by using the charm of stories? Can truth inspire enchantment?
The call for artists offers 12 residencies, including one promoted by Sineglossa in collaboration with Fondazione Bruno Kessler and Cineca Visit Lab, at the Tecnopolo Data Valley Hub in Bologna.
dmstfctn artist in residence at Bologna Tecnopole
The artist selected by Sineglossa and the Italian jury – Luca Baraldi, Barbara Busi, Ilaria Bonacossa, Antonella Guidazzoli, Maria Chiara Liguori, Wu Ming 2 – is dmstfctn (pronounced “demystification”), a London-based artist duo working with audiovisual performance, games and video installation. Since 2018, their work investigates complex systems through the study of communication networks, capital, information flows, and, more recently, AI.
Among their latest productions are Waluigi’s Purgatory and GOD MODE (ep.1), interactive audiovisual performances exploring AI folklore and the use of simulation in AI training. dmstfctn have performed and exhibited at Berghain, Serpentine, Design Museum, Onassis, Corsica Studios, HKW, Fotomuseum Winterthur, LUMA Arles, ARTER Istanbul and Aksioma among others, and at festivals such as Unsound, CTM, transmediale, Semibreve, Borderline and Impakt.
In 2021, Krisis Publishing published ECHO FX, the artists’ performance about Brexit market manipulation, later also published in Ø: The Book by Flatlines/Hyperdub. In 2019, Mille Pleateaux released Flash Demons, a collection of the artists’ performances focusing on financial market crashes.
dmstfctn were recipient of the 2017 transmediale Flusser artistic residency.
Conference on AI and autorship
On 25 September 2024, Sineglossa and Cineca organised the conference ‘What is an Author. Creating with generative artificial intelligences’ (video) on AI and authorship.
Paraphrasing Michel Foucault’s famous lecture, the event discussed the consequences of the production of works of art through artificial intelligence on the philosophical and legal notion of authorship. With Maurizio Lana, digital humanist from Università del Piemonte Orientale, Giovanni Leghissa, philosopher from Università di Torino
Francesca Lagioia, senior associate professor in Legal Informatics, AI and AI Law and Ethics (University of Bologna), Francesco D’Isa, artist and philosopher, artists Roberto Fassone, Kamilia Kard, and writer Wu Ming 2, with moderation by Pierdomenico Memeo.
Event organised under the patronage of the Municipality of Bologna, realised within the framework of the European projects GRIN S+T+ARTS and EUROPEAN DIGITAL DEAL, co-funded by the European Union.
Read more
Read the report on how arts can help debunking coming from the meeting of the Local Experts Group held in June 2023 in Bologna, Italy.
Check out the challenge for the call for artist promoted by Sineglossa.
Explore the project developed by dmstfctn for the European Digital Deal residency curated by Sineglossa.
Credits
EUROPEAN DIGITAL DEAL is a project co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe program and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Civil Service, and Sport.
Partners:
Ars Electronica
Gluon
iMAL
Kersnikova Institute
LABoral
Οnassis Stegi
Pro Progressione
Sineglossa
Braga Media Arts
gnration
The Center for the Promotion of Science (CPN)
The Culture Yard
Waag
Zaragoza City of Knowledge Foundation (FZC) / Etopia
This project has been co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme under grant agreement No 101100036. Views and opinions expressed on this page are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) can be held responsible for them.
