Artists Max Magaldi and Matteo Mandelli organized a digital procession called “Machina Sacra” in the village of Bosco [1].
The event explores the intersection of spirituality and technology by transforming personal devices into tools for communal ritual. By integrating artificial intelligence into a traditional procession format, the organizers sought to challenge how modern society consumes digital media.
The performance took place in June 2024 in the Cilento area of the Province of Salerno, Campania [1]. During the procession, participants carried a large screen through the hamlet. Those attending used their smartphones, linked via QR codes, to act as illuminated “lumini” [1]. These devices broadcast an AI-generated litany that synchronized with the movement of the group [1].
Magaldi and Mandelli designed the experience to question what they described as the “audiovisual dictatorship” of contemporary life [1]. The artists aimed to investigate the relationship between community bonds and the digital tools that often isolate individuals, turning the smartphone from a private screen into a shared light.
Local participants from the village of Bosco joined the artists to complete the ritual [1]. The project utilized AI not as a replacement for faith, but as a medium to explore how sacred rites evolve in a high-tech era [1].
“Mentre suoni e immagini saturano la nostra vita quotidiana attraverso la dittatura audiovisiva…,” Magaldi said [1].
“Participants’ smartphones, linked via QR code, become illuminated “lumini””
The 'Machina Sacra' project reflects a growing trend of 'techno-spirituality,' where traditional religious aesthetics are blended with generative AI. By moving the digital experience into a physical, communal procession, the artists are testing whether technology can foster collective belonging or if it merely digitizes existing social rituals without changing their essence.
