DIGITAL SHADOWS. The human touch in the superalgorithm

What happens when our own digital shadow takes shape: tangible, capable of being questioned, observing? To whom do we entrust our data, which structures are we aware of, and who is operating in the shadows?

DIGITAL SHADOWS is an art-and-science project that straddles the line between play and analysis, concealment and transparency; it is a reflection on identity in the age of facial recognition, deepfakes and algorithmic profiling. The focus is on questions of power, digital and physical identity, visibility, data security and self-determination in the digital realm. These themes are condensed into a narrative exploration of the ideologies and power structures of today’s tech giants, referencing figures such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Palantir Technologies to reveal the mechanisms of digital control and surveillance.

The stage play is based on the project of the same name, a collaboration between the Institute for Networks and Security at Johannes Kepler University Linz, JKU’s Zirkus des Wissens and Transitheart Productions, staged as part of the Ars Electronica Festival 2025.