Marloes de Valk (NL) is a software artist and writer in the post-despair stage of coping with the threat of global warming and being spied on by the devices surrounding her. Surprised by the obsessive dedication with which we, even post-Snowden, share intimate details about ourselves to an often not too clearly defined group of others, astounded by the deafening noise we generate while socializing with the technology around us, she is looking to better understand why. Happy to assist in an escape from the “nothing can be done” and “I've got nothing to hide” nightmare, she aims for the heart of technology, the stories and philosophies that lie beneath the surface of shiny exterior and polished interface. By looking at unstated motives present in software, the metaphors and memes we use to talk about our apps and gadgets, she hopes to remove some of those blind spots. Her work takes any form that suits the purpose, from text to performance or software.