Arts, Algorithms and Politics

21. May 2022

Featuring works by Helena Nikonole, Gabriel Pereira, & Simon Weckert

Today, algorithms are seemingly everywhere. How might an algorithmic future look like? Will it bring us a smoother, more intelligent, more efficient, and greener societal organization? Or will it be marked by social distress, division, and new forms of segregation and exclusion? Do algorithms facilitate unprecedented forms of oppression and exploitation or do they promise a better world for all? The future remains unknown. But it is safe to assume that algorithms are here to stay—for better and for worse. Imagining possible futures - those we would like to live in and those we would prefer to avoid - can help us build capacities to influence the direction we are taking. In this exhibition, we have brought together three contemporary artists who engage with the theme of algorithms and politics. With their works, they share both their visions of the future and concrete practices of resistance.

This exhibition is part of the Nordic workshop "Algorithmic Governance in Context" hosted by the University of Tromsø in collaboration with the University of Helsinki and Small Projects.

Helena Nikonole (RU/TR) is a new media artist, independent curator, and educator based in Istanbul. Interested in Artificial Intelligence, hybrid art and bio-semiotics, she explores the potential possibilities and risks of technology to understand the modern technology- and media-determined world.
NIKONOLE.COM

Gabriel Pereira (BR) is a researcher and critical practitioner. In this exhibition he will present two short films co-directed with the artist Bruno Moreschi (Brazil): "Recoding Art” and "Future Movement Future – REJECTED”.
GABRIELPEREIRA.NET

Simon Weckert (DE) wants to create a dialog between his artworks and technologies in the process of making and creating. He shows how these tools shape and manipulate his creative output. By doing so, he would like to show how machines were introduced to optimize the working processes and open the question of how we became so dependent on them that we often forget what they actually do. He would like to invite visitors to reflect on the meaning and modes of existence of technology in a critical and sober way.
SIMONWECKERT.COM