@ HCI – Division for Human-Computer Interaction,
Techno-Z Salzburg Bauteil V, Jakob-Haringer-Straße 8, 5020 Salzburg
It’s our pleasure to welcome our Octobers subnetAIR, Hanna Hofmann! Wednesday, October 28th, she will present her project and talk about her work.
The jury states: „Hanna plans to build a system where visitors can summon fragments of the myth in an interactive digital space. Similarly to the comparison of the Alpine tradition of Perchten and the Japanese Setsubun or Oni rituals the jury also sees a correlation to contemporary performative acts of cleansing and renewal in the digital culture. With their decision the jury supports the fascinating concept and the project’s ability to weave together cultural memory and emerging technologies.“
Hanna Hofmann project explores parallels between the Alpine tradition of Perchten and the Japanese Setsubun or Oni rituals – two cultural practices that use masks, sound, and collective performance to banish evil and mark transition. Through an experimental short film and audiovisual installation, I aim to connect these traditional gestures of cleansing and renewal with contemporary digital culture: What does it mean today to “drive away demons” when our ghosts live in data, networks, and inherited myths?
This project is right now in a research phase, with plans of filming key rituals and scenes during the Rauhnächte 2025/26 in the Baverian mountains, focusing on the Schnabelpercht – a bird-like figure that sweeps away evil – and the Tengu, its Japanese counterpart. Both figures are being created based on scientific and also artistic research into craft, culture and superstition. The masks, outfits and scenes will be the outcome of this first phase.
Hanna Hofmann is a designer & artist working at the intersection of language, perception, and technology. With a background in visual communication, she creates research-based artworks using code, sound, and interactive installations to explore hidden systems—translating complex ideas into accessible experiences. Her practice bridges disciplines, treating art as a tool for communication to reveal overlooked connections between science, culture, and digital media. Through data-driven visuals, generative processes, and immersive environments, she invites audiences to engage with the unseen structures shaping our understanding of the world.
More about Hanna Hofmann:
http://hanna-hofmann.com
Picture credit: Hanna Hofmann – „Greenprint“
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subnetAIR 2026
www.subnet.at subnetAIR is a cooperation between the Center for Human Computer Interaction (University of Salzburg) and subnet.