From February 20 to May 31, 2026, Villa Arson art center in Nice presents "Mechanical Kurds," a video installation by German artist Hito Steyerl. The work blends fiction, documentary, and critical speculation to examine invisible micro-labor chains, the geopolitics of images, and the delegation mechanisms behind so-called autonomous technologies.
This exhibition matters because Steyerl is one of the most influential contemporary artists addressing the intersection of technology, labor, and politics. By reactivating the figure of the "Mechanical Kurds," she challenges viewers to reconsider who performs the hidden work that powers digital and automated systems, making visible the human cost behind seemingly autonomous processes.