The transreal condition: expanded information and hacktivism in Media Art

Scores of innovative cultural expressions that address the new concerns and interests emerging in the “post-truth” era can be found in Media Art. In this research, special emphasis will be placed on the important role of hacktivism to encourage citizen participation in the fight against misinformation and the abuse of institutional, economic and political-factual power within the realm of experimentation in digital culture. The focus of this study will be Paolo Cirio’s oeuvre, based on his interest in addressing the central role of information as a medium as well as its status as creative content. In his works, the activation of data visualisation mechanisms and the interaction with the user is aimed not only at denouncing injustices and falsehoods, but also at stimulating real intervention on the facts themselves. Starting with an analysis of some of Cirio’s main productions, an original theoretical framework will be established to identify creative contributions that fall within what we may call the “transreal condition”. The key of this proposal resides in proposing coordinates for the study of transmedia projects of an interactive and often rebellious nature, projects capable of not only ushering in a new model of audience engagement but also expanding the information field beyond the social contract through direct action into reality.