Paolo Cirio: Art and Activism Against Tech-Authoritarianism in Utrecht
On June 27, 2026, Paolo Cirio, an Italian artist and hacktivist currently part of the EMAP residency program, will present a lecture titled "Art & Activism on Tech-Authoritarianism" at the IMPAKT Center for Media Culture in Utrecht. His discussion will delve into themes of technology, power, surveillance, and societal impact, focusing on his research related to post-quantum cryptography and digital security. Cirio is recognized for revealing over 200,000 offshore companies in the Cayman Islands, publishing a million Facebook users on a fictitious dating platform, and leaking 60,000 pirated financial articles. His notable projects include the disclosure of 20,000 patents related to social manipulation technologies and profiling 4,000 French police officers. Cirio has exhibited worldwide and won accolades like the Golden Nica in 2014. The lecture will take place from 19:30 to 21:00, with tickets available on the IMPAKT website.
Key facts
- Paolo Cirio will lecture on June 27, 2026, at IMPAKT Center for Media Culture in Utrecht.
- He is an EMAP 2026 resident artist.
- The talk covers his artistic practice revealing hidden power structures in digital societies.
- Cirio's methods include hacking, piracy, data leaks, identity theft, and cyberattacks.
- He exposed over 200,000 Cayman Islands offshore companies.
- He published 1 million Facebook users on a fake dating site.
- He leaked 60,000 financial news articles and e-books from Amazon.
- He obfuscated 15 million US criminal records.
- He disclosed 20,000 patents on social manipulation technologies.
- He pirated 100,000 Sotheby's auction records.
- He attempted to profile 4,000 French police officers via facial recognition.
- His early work targeted NATO with cyberattacks since 2001.
- Exhibited at Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, ZKM.
- Featured at transmediale and Ars Electronica festivals.
- Awards: Golden Nica (Ars Electronica 2014), second prize transmediale (2006), Eyebeam fellowship (2012), NEA grant (2017).
- Residency research includes post-quantum cryptography and digital security.
Entities
Artists
- Paolo Cirio
- Mita Medri
Institutions
- IMPAKT Center for Media Culture
- EMAP - European Media Art Platform
- Centre Pompidou
- Tate Modern
- Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
- ZKM Center for Art and Media
- transmediale
- Ars Electronica
- Eyebeam
- ISCP New York
- NEA
- Sotheby's
- Amazon
- NATO
- Arshake
Locations
- Utrecht
- Netherlands
- Paris
- France
- London
- United Kingdom
- Turin
- Italy
- Karlsruhe
- Germany
- Berlin
- Linz
- Austria
- Cayman Islands
- New York
- United States
Sources
- Arshake —