08 Apr 2016

Whistleblowers & Vigilantes. Figures of Digital Resistance at Hartware MedienKunstVerein (HMKV)

As early as 1996 artists and net activists such as the Electronic Disturbance Theater and etoy began using electronic civil disobedience tactics to attract the public's attention to the rampant commercialisation of the Internet. Since this time, the radical strand of online activism called internet vigilantism or simply digilantism has been thriving.

The exhibition Whistleblowers and Vigilantes. Figures of Digital Resistance asks what links hacktivists, whistleblowers and (internet) vigilantes. What is the legal understanding of these different actors? Do they share certain conceptions? Who speaks and acts for whom and in the name of which (higher) right?

Among other issues the exhibition will examine the differing legal conceptions and strategies of self-legitimisation put forth by activists, whistleblowers, hackers, online activists and artists to justify their work.

With works by 419eater.com, !Mediengruppe Bitnik, Anonymous, Julian Assange, John Perry Barlow, William Binney, Critical Art Ensemble, Cypherpunks, Lutz Dammbeck, DIS, Thomas Drake, Electronic Disturbance Theatre, Daniel Ellsberg, Etoy, Omer Fast, Dominic Gagnon, Ted Kaczynski a.k.a. Unabomber, Neo-Luddism, LulzSec, Chelsea Manning, Tim May, Metahaven, Netzpolitik, Trevor Paglen, Peng! Collective, Jesselyn Radack, Milo Rau / IIPM - International Institute of Political Murder, Edward Snowden, Clark Stoeckley, Telecomix, UBERMORGEN, WikiLeaks, a.o.

Curated by Inke Arns and Jens Kabisch

Admission 5 Euro and 2,50 Euro reduced

Sponsors and Partners

Funded by the Arts Foundation | Kunststiftung NRW
Main funders of HMKV
Dortmunder U – Centre for Art and Creativity
Cultural Office of the City of Dortmund
Ministry for Family, Children, Youth, Culture and Sport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Cultural Partner
WDR3
Media partners
HEIMATDESIGN
bodo
coolibri