Throughout history, humans have built ruins of events haunted by cruel actions that shape the construction of society and remain etched in our memory.

Launched in 2025 by Ars Electronica and Radio Ö1 as a sequel to The Digital Deal Podcast, the podcast Art Is Not A Thing presents a series of conversations and debates with artists, theorists, and professionals exploring art as a practice of critical investigation, knowledge production, and world-building.

In the second episode of the podcast, artist and author Thomas Kvam and artist and university lecturer Frode Oldereid engage in a conversation about the harsh reality of memory and human actions. Starting from an analysis of an installation they developed together in 2024, 'Requiem for an Exit', the duo discuss the relationship between humans and machines, revealing the ethical responsibilities that, throughout history, humans have been sidestepping and placing on bureaucratic and technological structures. Through a four-metre-high robotic figure that embodies an ambiguous fusion of machine and human resemblance, the installation constructs and recites a monologue about the historical legacy of genocide and war, blurring the boundary between biological determinism and algorithmic destiny, and presenting a post-Anthropocene perspective in which the fate of humanity is a self-inflicted genocide, encoded in DNA and data as an echo of humans trapped in machines.

Entitled 'Outsourcing Ethics: A Robot Speaks Our Violence' and hosted by Hannah Balber, this second episode of the podcast is available on the Ars Electronica website and on streaming platforms (Apple podcast, Spotify, etc.).

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Thomas Kvam
Born in Norway in 1972, Thomas Kvam is an artist and author who works and explores the connection between art, activism, and technology. His artistic career spans conceptual art and literature, demonstrating an insightful use of various media, ranging from robotics to painting, supported by works of art that deeply investigate socio-political issues.

Frode Oldereid
He is a composer, sound designer, and university lecturer in audiovisual subjects. Born in Norway in 1966, Oldereid is known for his numerous creative productions, ranging from musical compositions to sound design for art installations and theatre productions.