The “nice machine” concept:

 

PMCB 2000 METANOIA   is an interactive sound installation in the form of a large, white Nautilus shell. The self-standing structure, reminiscent of a telephone booth with a different purpose, reacts to the viewer's presence via a motion sensor, activating soft internal lighting and a sound piece.

 

Conceptually, it functions as a “Peace Mechanism Cleansing Booth” (PMCB) for instant release of aggression and recovery of balance. It features a synthetic "stewardess" voice, programmed with the ancient Hawaiian reconciliation practice of Ho'oponopono, serving as its spiritual and methodological algorithm.

The work draws on the Hawaiian belief that deep-seated painful memories, thoughts, and fears reside within us as 'cellular data,' resonating into the world and creating negative energy, conflict, and even global tragedies. Their practice posits that its specific mantra helps erase this data, returning a person to a state of pure, blank perfection. Operates on the principle that the mind can be changed through sustained exposure and the performance of suggested repetitions (i.e., affirmations), even without prior belief.

 

The booth exists to test this power of exposure. However, next to the entrance, there is a warning: 'This machine will try to reprogram you and control your mind. You enter at your own risk and at your own risk’.

 

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(longer about)

 

 

The title for this series of works is inspired by the Greek word metanoia, which means “to change one’s mind” or “a transformative change of heart,” especially a spiritual conversion. In the New Testament, the call to metanoeite (“repent”) demanded a radical reorientation of one’s entire being—a turning from sin that results in a change of action. In our modern, algorithmic world, this change of mind could find its contemporary metaphor in the concept of 're-programming. Its historical weight elevates the project's inquiry beyond contemporary wellness, framing it as a search for a modern, secular equivalent to this profound spiritual transformation—asking if such a turn can be engineered, or if it must always be a grace.

 

“I found myself thinking: we need to know more about how peace is done. I mean, really, done. Not how politicians posture, demand and concede. Not how people tolerate each other by muffling their disagreements and turning a blind eye to their injustices. But how do some ordinary people arrange to fill the space between their national differences with words in place of bullets? What do they say to each other then?”

— Cynthia Cockburn, The Space Between Us

 

While Cynthia Cockburn investigates how peace is actively built between people, this work starts from a more desperate, personal question: What happens when the heart cannot follow? Coming from a region scarred by conflict, the artist confronts the deepest dilemma of peace: its unequal cost. How can we speak of a ‘change of heart’ when forgiveness comes easier to some than to others? What does metanoia mean for a person who has lost their entire family? How dare we even ask them to forgive or forget?

 

“As algorithms shape what we read about and how important we consider different issues, they should be recognised as an extension of our will. We should be able to consciously build our own algorithms, change them whenever we want, and not have to delegate this decision to a commercial entity with opaque functioning and objectives.”

— tracking.exposed manifesto, Urbano Reviglio, University of Bologna

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If we cannot find forgiveness ourselves in an age where we already ask technology to solve everything for us, can a 'nice machine' help? 'Cleansing Booth' is not a prescription. It is a play—a 'what if' scenario. If our reality is already shaped by imposed narratives from governments, corporations, and social media, then artist claims the same right to play with reality. Sumarac imposes a mantra of peace not as a truth, but as a counterpoint—to see what happens.

And yet, by creating a ‘solution,’ the artist implicates herself in the very systems of control she questions, revealing how even the purest intention can become another imposition. This is where the work turns on itself. The work thus becomes a tragic loop: The machine does not escape the system; a pure intention to save the world inevitably transforms into just another demanded product in the marketplace of ideologies. It is both a child's utopian wish and an adult's dystopian diagnosis of a world where every solution is corrupted by the very problem it tries to solve.

 

“All beliefs, habits, tastes, emotions, mental attitudes that characterise our time are really designed to sustain the mystique of the Party and prevent the true nature of present-day society from being perceived.”

— George Orwell, *1984*

 

 

Working within this liminal framework of suggestibility and manipulation, the exhibition aims to draw attention to how hierarchies of power are subject to users’ complicit actions and subjective perspectives. Via the changing stimulus of culture, society, information … leading to a process called epigenetics, where environmental factors, thoughts, and behaviours modify gene expression, essentially changing the "readout" of DNA which can be passed to future generations*.

 

The work questions the line between "data colonisation" and conscious self-reprogramming. Also asking how interactions with AI and digital media impact our sense of self. By subjectively choosing an "algorithm" for peace, the artist highlights a deeper dilemma: even a well-intentioned input is an imposition, and every word or data point we introduce carries a responsibility. Orwell's warning cuts to the heart of our moment. We are increasingly governed by systems that offer total solutions—from digital IDs to mandated health protocols—always under the guise of being "for our benefit." Like the Party, these systems design our beliefs and habits, encouraging obedience under the pretext of efficiency and safety. Technologies, news cycles, advertisements, and social media are the primary tools of this new soft coercion.

Would peace, then, be the next product programmed for us? The piece explores how this very idealism—the desire to engineer a perfect solution—is vulnerable to co-option, mirroring the trajectory of ideologies that promise heaven but deliver a new form of control.

 

The profound questions at the heart of Metanoia reveal that forgiveness is never a simple act but a complex field of ethical tension, political necessity, and profound personal choice.

Ultimately, the artist does not suggest solutions but opens urgent questions for public discussion: Where do we go from here regarding our social systems, new technologies, and, most importantly, world peace? What do we actually say to each other in the space between us?

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The “nice machine” technical description:

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CB 2000, METANOIA is an interactive sound installation in the form of a large, white Nautilus shell, constructed from PVC sheets with a metal support frame. The self-standing structure, reminiscent of a telephone booth with a different purpose, reacts to the viewer's presence via a motion sensor. This activates the illumination of an inner space containing a mirror, behind which the electronic equipment that triggers the sound piece is housed. Upon entering, a visitor will see their reflection and be further guided by a hostess “AI-like stewardess” through the experience.

Next to the entrance, a warning will be displayed: 'This machine will try to re-program you. You are entering at your own risk and by your own choice.'

Technical Operation:

Upon approach, the motion sensor activates the LED light strip inside the booth, inviting the visitor to step under the shell's dome onto a clearly marked spot on the floor. Inside, an LED-framed mirror reflects the visitor's image, at which point the machine "addresses" them directly. The sound piece, with a duration of 3 minutes and 43 seconds, plays automatically and then ceases, completing the cycle.

Technical Specifications:

•            Sound Duration: 3:43 minutes

•            Electronics: Raspberry Pi, Arduino, motion sensor, speaker, SD card (custom coding)

•            Construction Materials: PVC sheets, metal structure, LED strip, mirror

•            Dimensions (HxWxD): 200 x 140 x 80 cm

•            Power Requirements: Standard electrical outlet

Installation Requirements:

The construction is foldable but requires two people for assembly. The artist needs a technical assistant for the on-site installation of the pre-constructed elements. Due to its size, special transport is required, which can be a logistical consideration.

Alternative Presentation Mode (As shown in the proposed image):

If spatial or logistical constraints exist, the work can be presented in a simplified format without the full machine. An intimate space can be created using a curtained-off area. A large paper roll mirror is installed on the wall, and a motion sensor triggers the same sound piece when a visitor stands before it. The electronics and speaker (a "black box") are discreetly mounted on the wall. This version maintains the core interactive and reflective experience.

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Core Inspirations:

• * Title: Many understand the term repentance means “turning from sin” but repentance comes from the Greek word μετάνοια, metanoia, which means “to change one’s mind; transformative change of heart; especially:  a spiritual conversion”. The full biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action. Wikipedia Metanoia_(theology)

• The concept of affirmations* isn't entirely recent; however, the modern, popular use of the term and the practice of positive self-talk is rooted in the early 20th century with Émile Coué's work, and later popularised by figures like Louise Hay in the 1980s, while the general word "affirmation" has existed since the 15th century. Modern psychological research also began to explore self-affirmation theory in the late 1980s, giving the practice further scientific grounding.

• * George Orwell, “1984”, Dystopian political fiction, social science fiction, First edition, Publisher Secker & Warburg, Publication date 8 June 1949

• * Urbano Reviglio (University of Bologna, Italy) and Claudio Agosti (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.) Thinking Outside the Black-Box: The Case for “Algorithmic Sovereignty” in Social Media. SI: Re-Imagining a More Trustworthy Social Media Future. Paper for Social Media + Society (SM+S), April-June 2020

• * CDC, Epigenetics, Health, and Disease, Genomics and Your Health, US January 2025

• * Cockburn, Cynthia. The Space Between Us: Negotiating Gender and National Identities in Conflict. London: Zed Books, 1998. Essential for the grassroots, interpersonal framework of peace-building.

• * Ho'oponopono.” I am sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you.” It is the traditional Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and the spiritual and methodological core of the work's proposed "algorithm."  Hoʻoponopono is an ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness that originated in ancient Hawaii, with its roots potentially going back several thousand years B.C. within the Huna philosophy. While its origins are ancient, the process has evolved over time. It was traditionally a community ritual facilitated by a respected elder, but it was significantly adapted into a self-practice by Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona in the 1970s, making it more accessible for personal use.

• AI Ethics & Technological Utopianism/Dystopianism: Engaging with discourses on the promise and peril of artificial intelligence as a solution to human problems.

 

 

References for Further readings

 

On Technology, Control, and the Self:

• Zuboff, Shoshana. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. New York: PublicAffairs, 2019.  A crucial text on "data colonisation," behavioural modification, and the power dynamics of digital platforms.

• Gabriel Isaiah Samandi, A general history and theory of MIND CONTROL. Information Design, Commercial Truth and the Disinformation Crisis. 2022  Department of Communications and Media Studies, Fordham University, New York

• Han, Byung-Chul. Psychopolitics: Neoliberalism and New Technologies of Power. London: Verso, 2017. Explores how digital technologies lead to self-exploitation and a sense of "freedom" that is a form of control.

• Haraway, Donna. "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century." In Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. New York: Routledge, 1991. A foundational text on the blurred boundaries between human and machine, organic and technological.

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On Forgiveness, Memory, and Politics:

• 6. Derrida, Jacques. On Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness. London: Routledge, 2001.

• Philosophically examines the paradoxes of forgiveness—whether it can be demanded, and if it must forgive the "unforgivable."

• Hutchison, Emma, and Roland Bleiker. Theorising Emotions in World Politics. International Theory 6, no. 3 (2014): 491-514. Connects individual emotional processes (like grief and forgiveness) to larger political reconciliation.

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On Reprogramming and Habit:

• Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. New York: Random House, 2012. An accessible look at the science of habit loops (cue, routine, reward) relevant to the "pattern interrupts" mentioned.

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On Utopian/Dystopian Visions of Technology:

• Scott, James C. Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998. A powerful critique of large-scale, top-down social engineering schemes, which resonates with the danger of "programming peace."

• Philosophical Foundations

• Hannah Arendt - The Human Condition (1958). Arendt links forgiveness directly to human action and freedom. She sees it as the only possible remedy for the irreversibility of human actions. Without forgiveness, we would be forever chained to the consequences of every past misdeed. For Arendt, forgiveness is a political capacity essential for allowing a community to have a future. This connects to the idea of "rebuilding" in your work.

• Friedrich Nietzsche - On the Genealogy of Morality (1887)

Provides a critical counterpoint. Nietzsche views the modern concept of forgiveness (especially in its religious, "turn the other cheek" form) as a symptom of ressentiment—a passive-aggressive morality invented by the weak to make the strong feel guilty. This perspective is crucial for critically examining forgiveness as a potential tool of manipulation or weakness.

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Social & Political Applications

• Trudy Govier - Forgiveness and Revenge (2002). A clear, analytical philosopher who deals with the practical dilemmas. She explores the psychology of victims, the role of narrative, and the distinctions between forgiveness, condoning, excusing, and forgetting. Very helpful for thinking about forgiveness on a societal scale.

• The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)

Key Figure: Desmond Tutu - No Future Without Forgiveness (1999)

This is the prime real-world case study. The TRC framed forgiveness as a national necessity for moving forward from apartheid. It grappled with the tension between justice and reconciliation, and the concept of "restorative" versus "retributive" justice. Tutu's writing is a powerful testament to the social and spiritual vision behind this process, directly echoing Cynthia Cockburn's quest for "how peace is done."

• Martha Minow - Between Vengeance and Forgiveness: Facing History after Genocide and Mass Violence (1998). Minow, a legal scholar, critically examines the options societies have after massive atrocities. She looks beyond the simple binary of vengeance vs. forgiveness, exploring legal trials, truth commissions, reparations, and memorials. She is sceptical of requiring forgiveness from victims, framing it as a personal choice rather than a public duty.

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Psychological & Interpersonal Dimensions

• Jean Améry - At the Mind's Limits: Contemplations by a Survivor on Auschwitz and Its Realities (1966) A searing, uncompromising rebuttal to pressures to forgive. Améry, a Holocaust survivor, argues that clinging to his resentment (ressentiment) is a moral necessity and a form of resistance. He defends the victim's right not to forgive, seeing it as a defence of their selfhood and the gravity of the crime. Essential for understanding the limits of forgiveness.

• Lewis B. Smedes - Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don't Deserve (1984)

A classic in the field of practical psychology. Smedes outlines a four-stage process: hurting, hating, healing, and coming together. While more popular than academic, it's influential in how forgiveness is often discussed in therapeutic and self-help contexts, which your work critically engages with by framing it as a "program."

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Further Research Pathways

• Simone Weil (1909 –1943) French philosopher, mystic and political activist.

(On Grace And Decreation) Simone Weil on the Grace and Gravity of Who We Are ...Simone Weil's concepts of grace and decreation centre on the idea that humans must empty themselves of their personal will and ego to allow God's grace to enter and act through them. Decreation is the process of making oneself nothing, an act of "unmaking" the self, which is necessary to escape the pull of "gravity" (selfishness and attachment) and enter the realm of "grace" (divine intervention). By imitating God's self-emptying in creation, humans achieve a higher reality, becoming receptive to beauty, love, and justice when they suspend their own desires and perspectives to receive others or divine truth.

• Paul Ricoeur, On Memory, History, and Forgetting, January 2011, Journal of French and    Francophone Philosophy

• Vladimir Jankélévitch (on the impossibility of forgiving crimes against humanity)

Philosopher Vladimir Jankélévitch argued that crimes against humanity are "unforgivable" because they destroy the very essence of human existence and are beyond the capacity of any mortal act to truly make amends for. He believed that a radical evil of this nature could not be reconciled with the duty to forgive. His position evolved, but he ultimately concluded in his work For the Sake of Forgiveness (or Le Pardon) 1967 that forgiveness was impossible and immoral in the context of the Holocaust, famously stating, "Forgiveness died in the death camps"

( for the profound questions at the heart of Metanoia. It shows that forgiveness is never a simple act but a complex field of ethical tension, political necessity, and profound personal choice.)

 

Historical, Religious & Spiritual References for Metanoia

• Ancient Greek Philosophy (Pre-Christian)

Concept: In classical Greek thought, metanoia (μετάνοια) meant "after-thought" or "change of mind." It was often associated with regret or a reconsideration of a past action. However, it already carried the seed of a fundamental shift in understanding.

Key Idea: It was a change of intellectual perspective, often triggered by new evidence or deeper reflection.

• The New Testament & Early Christianity (The Core Transformation)

This is where the term undergoes its most radical and influential transformation.

John the Baptist & Jesus: The central call of their preaching was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2, 4:17). The Greek word translated as "repent" is "metanoeite" (the verb form).

Key Shift: Here, metanoia is not merely intellectual regret or changing an opinion. It signifies a complete turning around of one's life. It's a transformative change of heart, soul, mind, and direction—a conversion away from sin and toward God. It involves:

Conviction: A deep awareness of having missed the mark (sin).

Contrition: Genuine sorrow for that state.

Conversion: A decisive turn toward a new way of being.

Theological Significance: It's seen as a gift of grace, the necessary first step in the Christian spiritual journey. It's about the transformation of the whole person.

• The Eastern Orthodox Church

The Orthodox tradition has particularly deep and nuanced teachings on metanoia.

Key Idea: It is often described as a "perpetual return" to God. It is not a one-time event but a continuous, lifelong process of humility, self-emptying, and drawing closer to the divine. It is the essence of spiritual growth.

Practice: The Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner") is a classic ascetic practice designed to cultivate a constant state of metanoia.

• Carl Jung & Depth Psychology (A Modern Interpretation)

While not religious, Jung saw the process of metanoia as a powerful psychological phenomenon.

Key Idea: He viewed it as a spontaneous, healing process of the psyche that could occur during severe crises (like what he termed a "psychic death"). It is a profound restructuring of the personality, leading to individuation and a new, more authentic self.

Connection: This bridges the spiritual concept to a modern understanding of psychological transformation and self-reprogramming.

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