Hito Steyerl SocialSim, 2020

The installation includes an immersive projected live simulation—Dancing Mania in Düsseldorf and Rebellion in Paris—and a video presented in two adjacent darkened rooms divided by a wall, also used as a projection surface. In both rooms the floor is covered with reflective black vinyl that mirrors the projections.

In the first room, a live simulation of Computer-Generated Images feature dancing figures of police officers in uniform and riot gears for Dancing Mania, of police officers and construction workers for Rebellion. Their movements recall contemporary urban dance routines but have a deliberate awkwardness. Their dancing pace is determined by statistical data about instances of police brutality. At K21 the information drew on German events, while in Paris it is determined by data on the actions of the French police.

SocialSim, is articulated in the form of a narrative video that combines multiple sources and aesthetics: video games, data visualization techniques, live online chatrooms, sequences created by neural networks/Artificial Intelligence, found imagery, and excerpts of previous works by Hito Steyerl.