Networked Veil looks at how technology is reframing our view of death and how we deal with grief. It explores new rituals of grief and collective memorialisation within the digital realm and how our manifestation of personal grief and fear of death is being altered through technology, both online and offline. We all experience grief in different ways, whether because of our culture or personal experience – here we look at the ancient ritual of writing a message to a deceased one. Our communication is severely mediated by technology and ‘writing’ a letter has been replaced with ‘typing’. In this project the web is used as the medium to send a message to a loved one who has gone beyond the veil. By using a machine-learning algorithm which detects the emotions present in the message sent, the visuals projected will be evolving throughout the duration of the exhibition. As we progressively witness the advancement of technological tools, the project questions the tools we use to express our grief – lighting digital candles and funerals’ livestream are already a reality. The project builds a metaphor of the digital web alongside the immense web of departed souls, not visible but greatly felt and missed. Networked Veil is a place to remember and to honor those who have left the physical realm.

Catarina Rodrigues is a Portuguese digital designer and visual artist with a great interest in generative visuals, interactive installations and mixed realities. With a background in filmmaking and currently developing her artistic practice with emerging technologies, she works with video and builds new digital landscapes with sound. Her work has been exhibited at The Barbican Centre, Turner Contemporary and featured on art & tech platforms.