Artist Statement

Mixed Media (2014)

Global Direct illuminates the idea of worldwide democracy within the tradition of utopian artistic visions. To illustrate the conceptual work, the artist composed a series of fifteen diagrams of alternative protocols, procedures and policies for actualizing a global participatory democracy. These creative organograms were informed by research on contemporary forms of democracies which the artist assembled and offers as a documentary component of the project. Further, the artist promotes Global Direct as a visionary political movement by producing appealing slogans, visuals and videos with statements by prominent advocates of participatory politics. Ultimately, the artwork is presented as a political philosophy that structures global direct democracy. This occurs through the opportunities offered by distributed network technology
for participatory decision-making, transparent accountability and civil awareness.

• Paolo Cirio has won a number of awards, including Golden Nica at Ars Electronica,  Transmediale and the Eyebeam fellowship. His artworks have been presented and exhibited in major art institutions including Utah MoCA (2015), Cenart, Mexico (2015), V&A Museum, London (2014), TENT, Rotterdam (2014), MoCA, Sydney (2013), ZKM, Karlsruhe (2013), CCCB, Barcelona (2013), CCC Strozzina (2013), MoCA, Denver (2013), MAK, Vienna (2013), and Architectural Association, London (2013) and National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (2009). He has had solo shows at NOME, Berlin (2015); Bellegard Centre Culturel (2015); Kasa Gallery, Turkey (2013); Aksioma Institute for Contemporary Art, Slovenia (2011, 2013).

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