Forgot your protest? investigates methods of preserving the collective memory of protests against dictatorships in Eastern Bloc countries during the Fall of 1989. A research behind the project has two stages: 1. interviewing witnesses of European democratic resistance and 2. collecting relevant visual data for further artistic analysis made with the implementation of generative AI models. By combining AI technology with personal testimonies and archival images, the project aims to foster a deeper understanding of particular historical events and their role in shaping our society.

*All AI implementations are executed locally on personal computers and self-hosted servers to ensure the protection of the personal and sensitive data of all participants.

Forgot your protest?

WHY?

Could the images, subjected to generative models and imbued with the memories of eyewitnesses, serve to re-activate memory of the successful nonviolent struggle against dictatorship? Or will they exacerbate existing levels of frustration and polarization? In its attempt to (re)animate memories in an increasingly accelerated media landscape, "Forgot your protest?" addresses several issues, including the authenticity and reliability of media-archiving, the potential for ideological manipulation of the past, and the broader risks associated with the misuse of digital technology.

100

HOW?

WHO?