EU-Views: Matej Vakula
Name: Matej Vakula
Nationality: Slovakian
Occupation(s): Multi media artist, educator, curator, theorist, programmer; DIY enthusiast with speciality in data visualization, biology and urban issues; Artist in residence at Center for Molecular Imaging and Nanotechnology at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer research Center and research fellow at the Public Lab.
Connection to Europe: European citizen; Work explores impact of culture, technology, location and politics on personal experience and social interrelationships.
Date of interview: February 26, 2016
This episode is a conversation with Matej Vakula, a Slovakian multimedia artist, about the heterogeneous cultural makeup of Europe. He discusses the challenges of rising nationalism, particularly in former Eastern Bloc nations, and the need for reeducation programs which emphasize greater acceptance of diversity within the European Community. Vakula addresses the importance of public activism and the role of artistic campaigns in the promotion of political causes in the EU and the need for increased education and citizen involvement in policy making to fight both corruption and xenophobia at the European level.