Velebit
Velebit is a hypothetical organisation created by artist, curator, and activist Shannon Novak. It is an ongoing project that was launched in August 2022. It is named after the largest mountain range in Croatia. Velebit aims to grow safety in relationships between queer communities and emerging technologies.
Velebit is realised as works through the lens of contemporary art. Works to date are listed below.
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Velebit seeks to:
Critically analyse emerging technologies and their relationships with queer communities.
Identify, communicate, and seek to meet challenges emerging technologies pose to queer communities.
Identify, develop, and evaluate opportunities for queer supportive emerging technologies.
Reduce rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide in queer communities.
Create positive, meaningful, and sustained change for queer communities.
Increase awareness and knowledge of queer communities.
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This project seek to achieve its objectives through social practice.
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In 2018, Stanford University published a study that found AI could detect sexual orientation based on facial images. The report examined ethical implications, stating:
“Companies and governments are increasingly using computer vision algorithms to detect people’s intimate traits, our findings expose a threat to the privacy and safety of gay men and women”.
Following further research, Novak formed this project given safety for queer communities is a key priority in Novak’s practice.
2025
Stanford University, Stanford, California, US, 2025
Key supporters: Stanford Center for AI Safety and Stanford Department of Art & Art History
Trust. Me. was a part virtual, part physical exhibition developed by Novak. The work is an urgent call to developers, regulators, researchers, and users to work together across disciplines to help address the rapidly escalating and often extreme dangers of conversational AI agents.
2024
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre, New Plymouth, New Zealand, 2024
Key supporter: Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre
Ben was a virtual exhibition developed by Hawkfish (an international queer art collective Novak is part of). The work examines how AI can be used to bypass and queer formal systems.
2023
100 Queer People
Online, 2023
100 Queer People is a moving image work by Novak. The work explores how AI represents queer people and the resulting implications of these representations.
Do You Think You Could Love a Computer?
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre, New Plymouth, New Zealand, 2023
Key supporter: Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre
Do You Think You Could Love a Computer? was an exhibition developed by Novak. The work examines how AI interprets the queering of static and moving imagery.
Parenthogenesis
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre, New Plymouth, New Zealand, 2023
Key supporter: Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre.
Parenthogenesis was an exhibition developed by Novak. The work focuses on the ethical implications of using AI image generators to generate LGBTQI+ heritage.
2022
20 Queer Flags
Online, 2022
20 Queer Flags is a digital work by Novak. The work examines how AI interprets symbolism in queer communities and the resulting implications of these interpretations.