Decline All
Technologies Otherwise ARS Electronica 2024
1 Year Residency @ Baltan Laboratories
This work explores the persistence of third-party cookies, a technology Google has repeatedly tried—and failed—to phase out. Known to most EU citizens as the cause of those annoying consent pop-ups on websites, these cookies highlight the difficulty of moving beyond entrenched digital practices and the influence of surveillance capitalism. The object features a plate made from glass, electronics, and plastics—core materials that constitute the internet’s physical infrastructure. Inside, a web crawler collects third-party cookies and converts the data into binary code, displayed as light signals within glass rods, mimicking data flow in fiber-optic cables. By making this hidden process visible, the work invites visitors to reflect on the pervasive nature of digital tracking.
Decline All was the outcome of a one year residency program at Baltan Laboratories and showcased during the ARS Electronica festival in 2024.