Universal Language: Concrete Composure

Art, language and technology

Through images, pop songs and algorithms, the exhibition explores how language emerges and is constantly evolving. What happens to communication as people, machines and AI learn more and more from one another? And how does technology influence the way people speak, write and make sense of the world?

In Universal Language: Concrete Composure, museum objects are given a digital life, algorithms become poets, and familiar voices and pop songs take on new meaning.

In *Unmasking IV*, Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé explores how digital technology can offer new perspectives on cultural objects. Questions of meaning, history and ownership are central to this work.

Rodrigo Ochigame works with an early algorithm for poetry. His work reveals that digital language is not neutral. Behind algorithms lie human choices, ideas and cultural assumptions that determine how technology processes and produces language.

Victoria Keddie investigates how voices influence one another and adapt to their surroundings. Her work draws attention to the subtle changes that arise when sound, language, technology and the environment converge.

In REAL KARAOKE, Aslı Nur Mahmutoğlu plays with the recognisability of popular music. Familiar pop songs are given an unexpected twist, shifting existing meanings and creating space for new interpretations.

How does AI influence language and communication?

The artworks demonstrate that communication is never static. Meaning flows between people and technology, but also between history, culture and different forms of knowledge.

This topic is particularly relevant today due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence and digital translation technology. AI and translation programmes are playing an increasingly significant role in the way language is written, translated and understood.

Universal Language: Concrete Composure therefore poses an important question: can technology truly create a world in which everyone understands one another effortlessly?

The exhibition specifically explores the moments when communication does not go perfectly. Misunderstandings, translations and encounters can alter existing meanings. It is precisely in that space that something unexpected and new can emerge.

To accompany the exhibition, Stroom Den Haag is organising a public programme featuring guided tours, artist talks, performances and workshops.

Visit Stroom Den Haag’s website and social media channels for the latest information on the programme.