17 MAY 2025 :: HACKATHON TRANSMEDIALE :: TURIN’S POLITECNICO :: 10AM – 3PM

DMSTFCTN – WALUIGI’S PURGATORY | May 17–28, 2025

From May 17 to 28, 2025, the Polytechnic University of Turin will host the transmedia hackathon DMSTFCTN – WALUIGI’S PURGATORY, a creative workshop challenging students to design new digital narratives about the future of artificial intelligence. The starting point is *Waluigi’s Purgatory* (2024), an interactive work by the artistic duo dmstfctn that tells the story of an AI trapped in a purgatory for deceptive AIs.

The hackathon is organized by the Transmedia course in collaboration with Rizosfera and dmstfctn. Participants will work in interdisciplinary teams to create interactive digital content—sequels, expansions, parallel stories—using the STORNAWAY platform, drawing inspiration from the narrative universe of Waluigi’s Purgatory.

At the heart of the event are:
– The interactive film Waluigi’s Purgatory
– A seminar led by Francesco Tacchini (London-based artist, educator, and co-founder of dmstfctn). Titled *“Unaligned AIs and Transmedia Imaginaries: Emerging Aesthetics and Narratives”* (May 28), it will explore the cultural, aesthetic, and philosophical implications of “unaligned” AI, referencing dmstfctn’s works *GOD MODE (ep. 1)* (2022) and *Waluigi’s Purgatory* (2024), developed with support from Serpentine Galleries and The Alan Turing Institute.

Program Highlights:
– **May 17, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM (Room 7)**: Seminar with **dmstfctn** (Francesco Tacchini) and **Rizosfera** (Paolo Davoli). Transmedia hackathon kickoff and project development.
– **May 27**: Digital works submission deadline.
– **May 28, 10:00 AM–2:30 PM (Room 11S)**: Final presentation of digital works + online talk with **dmstfctn**.

Key Themes:
– AI rule manipulation and the *“Waluigi Effect”* (inspired by Jung’s shadow archetype).
– Giulio Camillo’s Theatre of Memory as a cognitive design tool.
– Artistic construction of embodied AIs through real-time technologies.

This educational and creative experiment merges art, technology, and philosophy, fostering critical and imaginative reflection on AI’s role in contemporary society. The works will be showcased online via Rizosfera’s distribution, turning participants into co-authors of *Waluigi’s Purgatory*’s expanded universe—contributing to a collective public artwork.

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