Carmen Weisskopf and Domagoj Smoljo work together as !Mediengruppe Bitnik. Their art deals with media, especially digital media. They use computers and the internet in their work to show what is hidden. For example: Who has control and power on the internet? This connects with issues of how we live together.
For their exhibition at Kunsthalle Osnabrück, !Mediengruppe Bitnik looks at the problems that happen when computer technology is misused for political purposes. They also examine when personal areas of life, like religion, are exploited using computer technology? In the process, they reflect on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI). AI means that computers can learn by recognizing patterns in data. This allows them to solve more and more problems. Many people believe that AI will be able to solve all our problems in the future. But AI is also a tool of power. It can control information and people. !Mediengruppe Bitnik sees this as a danger. They call it tech fascism.
Tech fascism is when a small group uses computer technology to seize power and manipulate others. They can spread violent ideas that threaten democracy. It becomes especially dangerous when the government and the tech industry work together. For example, when Elon Musk became an advisor to US President Donald Trump. Musk owns a technology company and is one of the richest people in the world. As an advisor, he could directly influence politics. And he was able to use the data of millions of people for his own purposes.
!Mediengruppe Bitnik asks: How can we protect ourselves from this kind of influence? What can we do against tech fascism? They have created some guidelines to help us fight back. These guidelines are based on an example from the past. In 1944, the US Secret Service wrote the Simple Sabotage Field Manual. This manual gave instructions on how to disrupt dictatorships during World War II. It showed how people in factories and offices could slow things down in Germany, Italy, and other countries under fascist rule. The manual was for regular people. It showed them how they could resist in daily life without getting into trouble. For example, they could work extra slowly, use bad equipment, or have very long discussions.
The Simple Sabotage Field Manual is more than 80 years old, but it is now becoming popular again. After Donald Trump returned to office in the spring of 2025, many people downloaded the manual. It was downloaded more than any other text from US government agencies. !Mediengruppe Bitnik have updated the Simple Sabotage Field Manual for today. They ask: How can we resist right now? How can we use technology to do it?
The artists have made an installation for the church nave of Kunsthalle Osnabrück. [An installation is a work of art in space.] The art work takes us into a technological world of artificial light, neon signs, sounds, and videos. Their look contrasts with the Gothic architecture of the Kunsthalle. The Kunsthalle once hosted human sermons. Now, an AI preaches there. Her name is “Qwen Stefani.” She resembles the singer Gwen Stefani. In the 1990s, she was the singer of the band No Doubt. As “Qwen Stefani,” the AI brings the exhibition at Kunsthalle Osnabrück to life. She preaches for a united, democratic world.
Special thanks to Anna Engelhardt, Aram Bartholl, Ben Grosser, Benjamin Gaulon, Brad Downey, Caroline Sinders, Class for Networked Materiality, AdBK Nuremberg, Constant Dullaart, Daniel Felstead, Danja Vasiliev, Darsha Hewitt, Dasha Ilina, DISNOVATION. ORG, Esben Holk, Evan Roth, Fabiola Larios Fragmentin, Igor Štromajer, IOCOSE, Jonas Lund, Kathrin Hunze, Kunsthalle Osnabrück, Lauren Lee McCarthy, Marc Dusseiller, Mario Santamaria, Moises Sanabria, Nadja Buttendorf, Nestor Siré, Paul Feigelfeld, Philipp Meier, S()fia Braga, Sam Lavigne, Sara Bezovšek, Silvia Dal Dosso, Silvio Lorusso, Simon Weckert, Socrates Stamatatos, Super Dakota, Tega Brain, and Valentina Tanni for their video contributions to the artistic work “Doomscroll Against Techfascism #sabotagemanual #AI #techtok #qwenstefani,” 2025.
!Mediengruppe Bitnik are Carmen Weisskopf (CH) and Domagoj Smoljo (HRV). They live and work in Berlin. Recent solo exhibitions have been held at Aksioma - Institute for Contemporary Art Ljubljana (2024), Super Dakota Gallery, LISTE Art Fair in Basel (2021), LOAF, Kyoto 2020, and the Annka Kultys Gallery, London (2017). Recent group exhibitions include the Malta Society of Arts (Basement Vaults), Valletta, Grainger Market, Newcastle, Super Dakota, Brussels, the Art Museum Graubuenden, Chur, and the Galerie der Stadt Sindelfingen (all 2024). They have presented their work at lectures, panel discussions, and events, including: ICA London, CCCB Barcelona, HOPE New York, Lentos Museum Linz, Kunsthalle Zurich, Videonale Bonn, and FILE Sao Paulo. They are winners of the Swiss Art Award, PAX Art Award, Prix de la Société des Arts Genève, Migros New Media Jubilee Award, Golden Cube Dokfest Kassel, and received an honorable mention at the Prix Ars Electronica.
Supported by: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stiftung Niedersachsen, Felicitas and Werner Egerland Foundation, Pro Helvetia.