In the year 4017, how might identity and territories be transformed by advances in artificial intelligence? What if multiple data streams could define citizenship, or if Europe itself ceased to be a fixed continent and became a land mass with borders changing daily according to data flows?

 

4017 Enacted explores the future of European identity through the lens of developing technologies and our current socio-political landscape, using the performance as a means of interacting directly with the public.

 

Propositionally it declares the V&A site an extra territorial zone, with its own rules and features. A series of sweatshirts printed with slogans such as: ‘Updating Border’, ‘Make Something Great Again!’, ‘Ping’ and ‘Decolonising Culture’ act as basis for the algorithm or script that performers were given.

 

The project reflects on the confused situation that we find ourselves in in relation to borders, citizenship and identity. Bringing together a number of contemporary issues and future trajectories in relation to geopolitics, ranging from the use of specific political rhetoric to, ‘cloud-states’, to artificial intelligence and the freedom of movement.

 

4017 Enacted is a collaboration between Namuun Zimmermann (Studio Sain) and Common Initiative in collaboration with Onkar Kular.