Hito Steyerl's 'The City of Broken Windows' at Castello di Rivoli

Hito Steyerl's 'The City of Broken Windows' transforms the Manica Lunga of Castello di Rivoli into an installation, marking her second exhibition in Italy after the 2015 Venice Biennale German Pavilion. Curated by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev and Marianna Vecellio, the project features two videos: 'Broken Windows' shows technicians smashing windows to train AI to recognize breaking glass, while 'Unbroken Windows' depicts artists painting fake windows on abandoned Chicago houses to deter decay. A monumental gray monochrome by Chris Toepfer separates the screens. Text phrases and sounds questioning real versus virtual, human versus artificial intelligence, and desire versus control line the walls. The work references conflict, violence, and dispossession implicitly. Critic Ludovico Pratesi finds the installation minimal for the space but notes its unsettling fascination.