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Dries Depoorter

Surveillance art, dying phones, and fake likes

12—11—2025
7.30pm
Auditori Disseny Hub Barcelona
Crossroad C/ Irena Sendler with C/ Àvila

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In this engaging talk, Dries Depoorter delves into his world of his art, blending the boundaries between technology and creativity. Attendees will be taken on a journey through Depoorter's recent and upcoming projects, offering insights into the conceptual and technical processes behind his works. Dries will showcase live demonstrations of his art in the form of giving away likes or followers. This lecture offers a unique opportunity to learn more about the projects that have brought him worldwide recognition.

Belgian creative technologist and artist Dries Depoorter, based in Ghent, creates
thought-provoking work about technology, surveillance, AI and social media in a
playful way that makes people laugh while delivering serious messages in an
accessible way. His projects explore digital culture that can inspire marketers:
privacy challenges, artificial intelligence applications, surveillance and authentic
social media projects.

With his unique background in electronics and digital innovation, Dries has become a
voice for forward-thinking brands and marketing professionals looking to navigate
today's complex digital landscape. His artistic approach can directly inspire brands
to think differently and develop original marketing concepts that stand out. Through
his work, Dries demonstrates how combining creativity with technological insight
creates viral moments.

His award-winning "Die With Me" app, accessible only when a user's phone battery
drops below 5%, demonstrates how scarcity and unique user experiences can create
powerful engagement. On Black Friday, he doubles the price of his app instead of
offering discounts, showing brands how breaking marketing rules can create attention.
In his viral project "The Follower" Dries leverages open cameras and AI to reveal
the reality behind curated Instagram moments—offering marketers an unfiltered look at
consumer behavior and content creation. Meanwhile, ”The Flemish Scrollers" uses AI to automatically identify politicians using smartphones during parliamentary sessions, highlighting how technology can
create accountability and transparency in public spaces.

Dries has exhibited at prestigious venues including the Barbican in London, Art
Basel, Mutek Festival in Montreal,ZKM, Bozar, WIRED and Ars Electronica.
As a speaker, he's shared insights with innovative organizations including TEDx,
MoMA, SXSW, Chanel, Adidas, Samsung, Deloitte, KBC and Adobe.