Asking how interactions with Ai, the internet and social media impact users’ sense of self, identity and reality are questions that are significantly pertinent within contemporary society, given the intrinsic and extrinsic power relations involved. The extent of how habitual digitalism has become is reflected in the diverse range of its uses on a global scale, from socio-cultural, political, financial and marketing means of communication, knowledge exchange and manipulation. These are the primary threads that bind its users, bringing to light questions of agency, control and the evolving state of humanity. The conditions of this lived experience are indeed complex, and formulaic, developed through processes which deliberately withhold details of intention and design aimed at shaping the subconscious. Yet, how far can one call this praxis and its use inception or indeed data colonization? Can users who are self-aware and reflexive of their actions still be labelled under such umbrella terms and can the same be said for producers?

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Working within this liminal framework of suggestibility and manipulation exhibition aims to draw attention to how hierarchies of power are subject to users’ complicit actions and subjective perspectives. Believe that even if you do not believe in something, if you are exposed to it enough … act it out enough … you will change. Via the changing stimulus of culture, society, and information … leading to a change in DNA. Experimenting through self-aware, non-apologetic, consciously reprogramming in the hope that it might work, whilst also trying to draw attention to the complex relations at work within the production, consumption and interactive uses of social media.

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Inspiration for the sound installation and the source of the entire concept came from Ho'oponopono - The ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. The Hawaiian religious belief is that deep-seated painful memories, negative thoughts and fears or false beliefs rise within us within our cellular data and resonate into the world around us creating negative energy, negative people, vandalism, global conflict, oppression, wars and tragedies. The specific Mantra should help, they state, to erase the data, and will bring a person to the state of pure blank perfection with which they came into this world.

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CB 2020  is an interactive sound installation.  It has the shape of a big white Nautilus shell containing to be an exhibit as an object in public spaces such as a telephone booth but with a different purpose. Conceptually it is an Inner Cleansing Booth for instant aggression release and balance recovery. It is an antivirus system with an Ai-like hostess, to be used beneficially; while paradoxically can also be translated for discussion, as it is another program to control us.

The key programs of human behaviour are habit patterns of mind and body. You can change yourself using pattern interrupts, conditioning, visualization and affirmations, or by acting as if the change has already occurred. The power of the advertisement and the seductive power of smart easy-to-use modern kinds of machines are powerful mind-controlling programs. In this consumer-focused world, I try to wrap the Ho'oponopono message into the modern consumerist design and instead of esoteric teachings, which hold less appeal to people, I suggest Cleansing Booth, which I bring to the streets, available to everyone - ready to be consumed for instant help or as an imposing bold advert which is difficult to avoid.

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*Many understand the term repentance means “turning from sin.” Repentance comes from the Greek word μετάνοια, metanoia, which means “to change one’s mind; transformative change of heart; especially:  a spiritual conversion”. The full biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action.

** Inspiration for Metanoia series of works found in the ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness came from, Ho'oponopono, which reads: “I love you. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.”

The key programs of human behaviour are habit patterns of mind and body. You can change yourself using pattern interrupts, conditioning, visualization and affirmations, or by acting as if the change has already occurred. The power of the advertisement and the seductive power of smart easy-to-use modern kinds of machines are powerful mind-controlling programs.

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