Citizen Manifesto

Citizen Manifesto is an interactive installation that transforms future visions in uncertain times into posters, culminating in a diverse and vibrant collective manifesto. The project showcases how the transparent use of generative AI can support personal expression and civic dialogue.

Citizen Manifesto experiments with various mechanisms for spreading citizens’ demands, sparking dialogue across differing opinions, unfamiliar wishes, and bold ideas. In the installation, participants interact with artificial intelligence, which acts as a creative collaborator in the process. The conversations are guided by a core question: How can we as a society break free from a state of panic?

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Developed by the Ars Electronica Futurelab in collaboration with Hakuhodo Inc., the project premiered at the Ars Electronica Festival 2025 titled “PANIC – yes/no”. Individuals or small groups who wanted to be part of the Citizen Manifesto were asked to give their opinion on various questions relating to panic: What needs to change urgently in society? What should be improved? What should we abolish?

The participants’ discussions were recorded via microphone and transcribed using AI. The texts were summarized into key statements utilizing AI, and participants then selected from a range of headlines, subtitles, and poster designs to shape their message. The posters were created using an AI image generator and printed at the Festival as part of the Citizen Manifesto. Participants were also able to share a digital version per QR code, extending the dialogue beyond the exhibition space.

Citizen Manifesto @ Art Thinking Lounge, photo: Bettina Gangl

Citizen Manifesto @ Art Thinking Lounge, photo: tom mesic

Citizen Manifesto @ Art Thinking Lounge, photo: Bettina Gangl

Citizen Manifesto @ Art Thinking Lounge; photo: tom mesic

The aim of the installation is to create a tangible tool for gentle activism – encouraging instant, collective decisions on future topics, even among those who disagree. By focusing on common ground rather than differences, participants co-create future visions together. The process demonstrates how generative AI can support open communication and societal discourse while making the creation journey transparent—from conversation to poster.

At the Ars Electronica Festival 2025, Citizen Manifesto was part of the Art Thinking Lounge under the curatorial framework of Future Citizen Kit, shown alongside projects exploring public engagement and civic imagination. The People Thinking Lab by Hakuhodo highlighted the “small voices” of everyday citizens, while the Fashion Frontiers Program visualized future visions through clothing, inviting visitors to vote for the future they wish to wear. The next presentation of Citizen Manifesto will take place at CCBT × Ars Electronica Inspirations: Art for Participation in Harajuku, Japan, in November 2025.