Congress: Data Poetics | Data Politics

A smartphone lies on a blanket and is illuminated by a bright green light.

How does data change our world, relationships and self-relationships? In this event, scientists and artists will enter into a dialogue on three key questions:

  • What is data?
  • What does data do to me and between us?
  • What does (smart) data and AI do to us - and what do we make of it?


Data has long since become the raw material of social environments; this naturally includes our economic activity and at the same time designates alternative economies (e.g. attention and platform economies). 
Based on everyday situations, the speakers will shed light on what data does to us and how significant the changes can be in terms of our perception of the world and ourselves. Beyond the influential Big Tech, the (political) question of data sovereignty also arises. What perspectives and solutions can media art and art-based research offer in dealing with data and AI?

In this event, art and humanities scholars will meet media artists and practitioners. They invite you to inspiring lectures, discussions and workshops. Speakers will include

  • Prof Paul Feigelfeld, Professor of Digitality and Cultural Mediation at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg
  • Audrey Samson, Goldsmiths College, University of London, FRAUD collective
  • Prof Dr Sven Meister, Witten/Herdecke University
  • Prof Dr Matthias Kettner, philosopher
  • Dr Kerrin Jacobs, affiliated researcher at the Institute for First-Person Research at Witten/Herdecke University
  • Dr Jonathan Harth, Witten/Herdecke University


The closing keynote will be given by internationally renowned AI policy consultant Dr Gemma Galdon-Clavell. She advises local authorities and political organisations, including UNESCO and the European Union. On the evening, she will talk about data sovereignty and algocracy (government by algorithm), for example. Her lecture will be held in English.

The event is free of charge and open to the interested public. Registration is requested: data@uni-wh.de

The event is organised in cooperation with WittenLab. Zukunftslabor Studium fundamentale at Witten/Herdecke University with the Office & Network for Media Art and Digital Culture MEDIENWERK.NRW and Fraunhofer ISST.