Mapping the Oblivion reveals how technology influences our decisions

Photo: Julia Janssen.

Mapping the Oblivion

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you're entitled to ask an organisation to delete any data the organisation has about you. "I'm fascinated by this 'right to be forgotten'," says Julia. "Our data is endlessly shared and reproduced. As a result, no one can ever be sure quite who knows what about them, how data about them is used, or where personal data is deleted if they ask to be forgotten. I also wonder what oblivion actually means in a world built on data and digital systems. Through my art, I try to make the issues surrounding AI and digital systems tangible. I want to promote awareness about the challenges posed by such systems, both here and now, and in the longer term. I encourage people to ask questions about things like the role of AI and data collection. The Mapping the Oblivion project introduces a new tone to my work. My aim is to produce a series of installations or artworks that create a space for oblivion."

Netflix recommendations

In order to understand what oblivion means, Julia decided to begin with the meaning of life within algorithms. The first art installation in the Mapping the Oblivion series is a representation of Netflix's recommendation system, as seen through the account that Julia, her father and her grandmother share. It takes the form of a wall sculpture against a background of 3 similar patterns featuring the titles of all 7,000-plus Netflix series and films available in the Netherlands. Beneath each pattern is a video depicting the lives of Julia, her father and her grandmother. The patterns are formed by genre names, film titles and series names, plus thousands of gaps, in which Julia visualises the Netflix infrastructure. There are also flags indicating the strength of Netflix's recommendations. Each flag shows a percentage; the higher the number is, the better the match between the film or series and the user's profile. Every day, the user is shown about 300 titles with matches of between 55 and 99 per cent. Other titles are shown only if the user actively looks for them. "I see that as a form of digital oblivion suitable for depiction in the context of my project," explains Julia. "The algorithm decides not only what we do see, but also what we don't. So I looked for patterns in the titles recommended by Netflix, and at how those patterns differed from person to person. Interestingly, my grandma gets a lot of Korean horror films recommended to her, even though that's not the kind of thing she likes to watch. Although Netflix recommends a lot of popular films and series to all three of us, there are clear differences in the suggestions made to each individual. What's more, something may be recommended with a 92 per cent rating one day and a 65 per cent rating the next, then not recommended at all a week later."

Support from SIDN Fund

"I've been investigating technology's impact on society for some years now. Having worked with SIDN Fund before, I applied to them for financial support for Mapping the Oblivion. I was awarded a grant that covered some of my time input, the full production cost, and the cost of all the materials for the installation. Another big benefit of working with SIDN Fund is access to their network of lawyers and other useful contacts. I'll certainly be using those contacts as I move ahead with Mapping the Oblivion."

SIDN Fund's CEO Valerie Frissen says, "The Fund has already worked with Julia on a number of successful projects. She has a unique talent for using the visual arts to tell a powerful story about the digital world, raising public awareness of how the internet works. Julia also has a strong artistic reputation. Her work has won recognition at the Venice Bienniale, for example. SIDN Fund is proud to contribute to Julia's work, which we see as an excellent medium for communicating the message we want to spread."

Photo: Matteo Losurdo.

Living in oblivion

"Until November 2023, my art installation is being shown at Palazzo Bemboas part of the Architecture Biennale. And I'm working with my creative producer Berit Smit to identify suitable galleries, conferences, festivals and public spaces in the Netherlands where the installation can be exhibited after November. Work on the next project in the Mapping the Oblivion series will start in the autumn. Looking ahead, I want to add to the series by developing an art project that portrays a life uninfluenced by data and AI. I'd like to explore what it would mean to use the internet without disclosing anything about yourself, and without any external influences on your decision-making."

"After all, technology's influence isn't confined to things like Netflix recommendations. Our behaviour when we visit news sites and webshops is also influenced by the selective presentation of articles and products that align with our interests and the choices we've made before. Technology plays an increasing role in our decisions, as we delegate responsibility for decision-making to AI for the sake of convenience. That trend concerns me. What are the implications of letting data-driven technologies control more and more aspects of our lives, including our education, our friendships and our love lives? Is there any room left for uncertainty and personal intuition? And how do we strike a balance between data collection, AI and personal identity? In the years ahead, I'll be exploring these fascinating and complex questions through my art."

For more information about Mapping the Oblivion, contact Julia Janssen by mailing julia@studiojuliajanssen.com or visit https://studiojuliajanssen.com/projecten/mapping-the-oblivion/.

Photo: Matteo Losurdo.