City in the Cloud: Data on the Ground Materiality, Citizenship, and Heritage in the Digital Domain

The rise of the smart city and the exponential increase in data production is leading to the construction of large digital infrastructures like data centers and undersea cable networks. In turn, data is the new gold. This puts pressure on the extraction of more critical resources like lithium and copper and expands the demand for electricity and clean water, placing enormous strain on the natural environment and consequently displacing humans and non-humans. The exhibition critically examines the impact of smart cities and digital infrastructures through the lens of materiality, citizenship, and heritage. We are discussing the potential role of the smart city in creating democratic and eco-technological collective futures.