HACK! is a theater performance about unhinged visual culture: how do young people experience and use the internet and social media? That is the central theme of HACK!.

40 young people worked for five months on a theater performance, memes, and films. They hack social media, the arts, fear, love, and life. The young creators are given creative means to formulate an answer to questions such as: What is the problem with Instagram and why is everyone pretending to be better than they are? What is the impact of large companies such as Facebook and Google on society? What role does an algorithm play in making a choice? What do all those cameras do in the public space and do they provide more security? What does security, digital connectivity, a digital alter ego mean? Do games replace the square as a social hangout? Do young people in Ghent post different things on Instagram than in Leuven or Antwerp?

A concept by Privacy Salon.

Directed by Jonas Baeke, Britt Lemmens, Diëgo Nurse, David Ramos, Matthias Sourbron, Marc Verstappen & Aron Wouters

A collaboration with: De Studio, Larf!, fABULEUS, Jong Wild & WAJOW

For CPDP, Privacy Salon and community radio station dublab team up for Avatar.fm, a temporary radio broadcasting live from CPDP on three consecutive days.

Giving a voice to the young and new generation of privacy, data protection, AI, and computer scientist heads, Avatar.fm amplifies stories and testimonials of students, junior researchers, artists and activists. The content is brought to you in different 15-30 minute conversational formats and other still unknown interactions.

Join us in conversations about the datafied world and AI related subjects, interwoven with DJ-sets by numerous dublab favourites live from the heart of CPDP. Reach out to info@privacysalon.org

The CPDP Culture Club is the artistic heart of CPDP. Tucked under the roof at the very top of the venue — a quiet spot with comfy couches and room for big ideas, we host the CPDP Culture Club: a temporary sanctuary to pause and immerse yourself in art, books, films, talks, and coffee — all thoughtfully woven into the main programme.

The Culture Club offers 18 curated slots for talks, keynotes, screenings, live radio via Avatar.fm, and, when possible, exhibitions — all programmed by the artistic team of Privacy Salon. Last year’s edition marked the return of our book club sessions: Daniel Solove presented his new book and reflected on his favourite privacy titles of the past 50 years, while Maria Magierska led a discussion on a solarpunk novel. Our Artist Keynotes included YAO Qingmei, Aaajiao (Xu Wenkai), and Boris Shershenkov, who explored early Soviet-era machine vision and hearing systems and their resonance in contemporary Russia.

We’re always open to new suggestions and collaborations. Have you recently been inspired by an artist or author working on privacy, data protection, or algorithmic life? Do you collaborate with someone whose work belongs in the Culture Club? Or do you have a creative idea that could complement this year’s programme?

We’d love to hear from you. Please send your proposal to info@privacysalon.org, including as many details as possible and all relevant materials. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or thoughts.