Hacking Networks

Meet the artist Helena Nikonole in her current winter studio residency at Art Laboratory Berlin. In her talk, Helena will explore how artistic practices can challenge centralized systems of control through two of her current projects, which she is continuing to develop during her winter residency at Art Laboratory Berlin.

The first project uncovers hidden structures of power embedded in generative AI systems based on Large Language Models by probing their biases around political ideologies. This investigation reveals how these technologies reflect and amplify societal inequalities.

The second project, Guerrilla Wearables, decentralizes communication networks to counteract internet shutdowns and surveillance in high-risk environments. By leveraging LoRa technology and integrating it into wearable designs, this project offers both a practical and aesthetic response to censorship and restricted connectivity.

Together, these projects expose and challenge the mechanisms of centralized control, offering tools and insights for a more resilient, decentralized future. From revealing the biases in algorithms to building alternative communication infrastructures, the talk will demonstrate how art and technology intersect to resist and reimagine systems of power.

This event is part of the Winter Studio Residency 2025 at Art Laboratory Berlin.

Helena Nikonole is a new media artist, independent curator and educator currently based between Berlin and Istanbul. Her field of interests embraces AI, hacktivism, hybrid art and bio-semiotics. One part of her work is dedicated to utopian scenarios of post-human future while another is focused on dystopian present and critical approach to technology. She presents lectures and workshops in the field of Art & Science and AI & art at different institutions including Paris College of Arts, Mutek Festival (Montreal and Tokyo), Leiden University, IMAL (Brussels) and many others. Her artistic work have been presented internationally by institutions and festivals such as Ars Electronica 2019 and 2022, ZKM Museum (Karlsruhe), CTM Festival (Berlin), Athens Digital Art Festival, Kapelica Gallery (Ljubljana), Chronus Art Center (Shanghai), Drugo More (Rijeka), “YouFab Creative Award 2019 Winners Exhibition”, SHIBUYA QWS (Tokyo), Open Source Body Festival 2022 (Paris), Warsaw Biennial 2022 etc.
More information: https://nikonole.com/