Danja Vasiliev (Russian: Даня Васильев, pronounced as: "Da-nya Vas-ile'-ev") is a media artist, Critical Engineer and educator born in Saint-Petersburg, currently living and working in Berlin.
"..when a person gives self-control over to a computer and accepts
the default options without question, that person becomes a
cyborg.."
Vasiliev studies Systems and Networks through anti-disciplinary experimentation with hardware, firmware and software. Using computational platforms he engages in examination and exploitation of System and Network paradigms in both the physical and digital realms. Based on these findings, Vasiliev creates and exhibits works of Critical Engineering.

Since 1999 Vasiliev has been involved in computer-technology events, media-art exhibitions and seminars around the world. He has received a number of awards and mentions at Ars Electronica, Japan Media Art Festival, and Transmediale, among others.

In October 2011, together with his colleagues Julian Oliver and Gordan Savičić, Vasiliev coauthored The Critical Engineering Manifesto.

He gives public workshops and talks, as well as regularly teaching courses on topics of network insecurity, software/OS modification, hardware re-engineering, digital forensics and other technology related subjects.

In his work and daily computing, Vasiliev uses GNU/Linux software.
He propagandizes Open Source practices in all facets of life.
Danja Vasiliev | Critical Engineering
main loop:

SUPERGLUE: User-driven network of Web nodes, ongoing
A visual web authoring tool and personal server, which enables you to make your own websites and host them at home.


PRISM: The Beacon Frame, 2013
Commentary to NSA technology, 'PRISM' reveals information about wireless devices present in its vicinity. In collaboration with Julian Oliver.


Weise7 book, 2012
A new type of book. Once opened it publishes its contents into the air,
using WiFi radio (802.11). In collaboration with Weise7 studio.


Netless2, 2012
Large scale model of a hypothetical data network.
Payload packets are physically transported between the nodes.


Newstweek, 2011
A device capable of altering news read on public wireless networks.
In collaboration with Julian Oliver.


120 days of *buntu, 2011
Collection of 120 modifications of Ubuntu OS.
In collaboration with Gordan Savičić.


HOTGLUE, 2010 (ongoing)
In-browser web-authoring tool. Together with Gottfried Haider.


Men In Grey, n/a
I am permitted only to reference my involvement in this organization, not discuss it in any way.


Rebuntu, 2009
Self-maintaining computer Operating System.


The End of The Internet, 2009
A device for sabotaging Wi-Fi Internet access.


Netless, 2009
Data-exchange network using city transportation grid as its carrier.


m/e/m/e 2.0, 2008
Fully functional, electro-mechanical web-server.


Master/Slave, 2008
5-axis, computer-human interface.


Recursor, 2007
Graphical generator based on GNU/Linux filesystem.


DRMe, 2006
Digital Rights Management parody.


Poweronoff, 2006
Model of a residential environment where electricity is provided in exchange for Internet ads consumption.


Electrocute, 2006
Massive computer display providing interface to a specially trained A.L.I.C.E. artificial intelligence machine.


Redbox, 2005
Networked proxy device for misinformation and culture jamming interventions.


Robot MG-2, 2001
Computerized sculpture fitted with semi-intelligent computer A.I.


Supremedizm 1-2-3, 2001
Stabilized, video-hardware glitch.


Koala.Ru, 1995-2000
HTML, Javascript and server-side experiments.

now:
past:

2012:
Newstweek - presentation and exhibition at Erreur d’impression | Publier à l’ère du numérique - Paris, France & Web.
Netless2 - exhibition at AMBER '12 festival - Istanbul, Turkey.
Weise7/LABOR Berlin/Transmediale 2k12 - Netless2 and 120 days of *buntu exhibition, Berlin, Germany.
AEC, Ausser Kontrolle - Newstweek one year long setup, Linz, Austria.
Aksioma - Newstweek exhibition, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Hack The City, Science Gallery - Newstweek exhibition, Dublin, Ireland.



2011:
PIKSEL11, Dataj, demonstration, Bergen, Norway.
Art+Communication: TECHNO-ECOLOGIES, m/e/m/e 2.0, exhibition RIXC, Riga, Lithuania.
Share festival, Newstweek, Honorary Mention Award, Turin, Italy
CodedCultures, "120 days of *buntu" workshop, Vienna, Austria
Ars Electronica 2011, Newstweek exhibition, Golden Nica award, Linz, Austria
DATAcuerpos y retratos compartidos: de la aldea global a las redes sociales, exhibition, Lima, Peru.
Aksioma, Komenskega 18, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Weise7, 0x00WE15E7, Dataj ("rotate disk") prototype demonstration, Berlin, Germany.
Electronic Village Galleries, Newstweek exhibition, Liskeard, UK.
Japan Media Art Festival, M.I.G exhibition, Excellence Award
Tokyo, Japan.
LabMIS, 120 days of *buntu, residency, street intervention
Sao Paolo, Brazil.


2010:
moddr_*, 120 days of *buntu exhibition
IMAL, Brussels, Belgium.
European Media Facades Festival, M.I.G performance
EMAF, Berlin, Germany.
Ars Electronica, M.I.G performance, Award of Distinction
Linz, Austria.
Dorkbot 67, Netless presentation,
London, UK.
FurtherField, residency
London, UK.
Transmediale 10, Invisible Cities workshop, panel
Berlin, Germany.


2009:
Piksel 09, Rebuntu exhibition, talk
Bergen, Norway.
Gogbot 09, M/E/M/E 2.0 exhibition
Enschede, Netherlands.
Transmediale 09/CTM, M/E/M/E 2.0 exhibition
Berlin, Germany.


2008:
MakeArt 2008, M/E/M/E 2.0 exhibition
Poitiers, France.
Piksel 08, M/E/M/E 2.0 exhibition
Bergen, Norway.
Avecom festival, Master/Slave exhibition
Groningen, Netherlands.
Anti-picnic, M/E/M/E 2.0 exhibition
Virtueel Platform, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
You are PWNED, M/E/M/E 2.0 exhibition
WORM and PZI, Rotterdam, Netherlands.


2007:
MakeDo, Master/Slave exhibition
PZI and V2_, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Labouretum Lumbrici, installation NetFlux
WORM, Rotterdam.
Sign Gallery, Poweronoff exhibition
Groningen, Netherlands.


2006:
ReneCoelho prize nominee, Poweronoff exhibition
Montevideo, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Balen festival, Electrocute exhibition
Enschede, Netherlands.
Unauthorized Access, Koala.Ru presentation
Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Kunstvlaai, Electrocute exhibition
Amsterdam, Netherlands.


2005:
Solo exhibition @ Planetart, Electrocute, RedBox
Enschede, Netherlands.
[He]art[break]hotel, exhibition in collaboration with MPC
Hengelo, Netherlands.
The Overkill II, Supremedizm 1-2-3
Enschede, Netherlands.
Villa Electrique, exhibition
Enschede, Netherlands.


2004:
Overkill, video festival
Enschede, Netherlands.
EMAF, European Media Art Festival, FM radio installation
Osnabrück, Germany.
Machinista.org, co-organization
Glasgow, Scotland, UK.


2003:
Machinista, web coordination
Moscow, Russia.


2002:
Read_Me 1.2, software art festival
Moscow, Russia.
Art-Moscow 2002, Supremedizm 1-2-3 exhibition
Moscow, Russia.


2001:
Art-Moscow 2001, Robot MG-2 exhibition
Moscow, Russia.


1999:
Da-Da-Net, Koala.Ru nomination
Moscow, Russia.


dev:

Dataj ("rotate disk")
Raw data playback station (in progress).


PS2-Tempest
Remote reading of PS2 keyboard signals.


Googlash
Firefox add-on which eats Google browser cookies.


QWAQ hack
Permission elevation in QWAQ environment.


Snappy
Wearable video recorder. Sousveillance device.




workshops:


Networkshop, computer networking demystified. Together with Julian Oliver.
OS modification, computer OS under a knife. Together with Gordan Savičić.
Data Carving, data forensics workshop @ NAPRAVI ME!, Belgrade, Serbia.
OS modding, Ubuntu OS modification workshop @ pontaodaeco, Escola de Comunicação, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Data Carving, data forensics workshop @ Networked Media, PZI, Rotterdam, Netherlands - http://vimeo.com/17929390
WhyFi, wireless hacking workshop @ digitalartlab, The Israeli Center for Digital Art, Holon, Israel.
WhyFi, wireless hacking workshop @ Networked Media, PZI, Rotterdam, Netherlands
HOTGLUE, HOTGLUE CMS workshop @ iMAL, Brussels, Belgium
WhyFi, wireless hacking workshop @ HONF, Jogjakarta, Indonesia.
Data Carving, data forensics workshop @ xxxxx, Berlin, Germany
Network [in]Security, networking workshop @ moddr_WORM, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Emanuel Andel and Andreas Muk Haider (tagr.tv):
Weise7: the incompatible laboratorium exhibition


José Luis de Vicente: Reflexionando sobre las Infraestructuras: Ingeniería Crítica


Der TagesSpiegel on Newstweek: Berliner klären über Fälschungen im Netz auf


Imperica.com on Newstweek: Newstweek: changing news


Computerworld.com on Newstweek: Hackers use hidden device to manipulate news at Wi-Fi hotspots


Daphne Dragona on Netness: Netless Dead Drops


Furtherfield.org: An Interview with Danja Vasiliev


Neural.it on Netless: Netless, turning ad-hoc networks into homebrew ubiquity


Neural.it on M/E/M/E 2.0: m/e/m/e 2.0, interactive installation parodying web 2.0

Email: danja [at] k0a1a.net
PGP pub-key

Twitter: @k0a1a
Netless2 - exhibition at Networked Art Forms and Tactical Magick Faerie Circuits (NAF:TMFC) - Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Newstweek - exhibition at Artist As Catalysts - Alhóndiga Bilbao, Spain
Newstweek - exhibition at Mal au Pixel 7 - Paris, France.


Golden Nica
Prix Ars Electronica 2011
Interactive Art

made possible by:
PRISM: The Tower will be enacted at:

Hamster Hipster Handy show on 24 April 2015 - Frankfurt
recent press:
SUPERGLUE workshops and presentations recently at:

Transmediale 2015 - Berlin
Future Everything 2015 - Manchester
FLOSS4P2P event - London
Athens Digital Arts Festival - Athens

Our Weise7 studio received PRIX NET ART award from RHIZOME / CHRONUS ART CENTER / TASML

MUTEK/Human Futures - Montreal

March-May 2016: Newstweek exhibited at Nervous Systems, HKW / Berlin

2021 WannaScry! - Privacy breach & Biometric data theft on a Video-Calling service


2019 Newstweek and Unindended Emissions exhibited at The Glass Room