Afroditi Psarra
Pythia Embodied
How can rituals rooted in bodily practice shape new forms of technological interaction?
- October 29 - December 11, 2026
- Opening: Thursday, October 29
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 5, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Second Reception: Thursday, December 3, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Pythia Embodied is inspired by the story of the Oracle of Delphi in Greece, one of history’s most powerful divinatory figures, which was said to predict the future through an induced trance-like state. In the exhibition, Pythia—the Delphic High Priestess—is reinterpreted through a wearable “artificial” entity, which operates {hyper}locally, on-the-cloth, off-the-cloud, and is fine-tuned on texts about magic, rituals, secret ceremonies, and ancient mythologies. Their divinations resonate through circuits and bone, channeling the collective voice of all the women who served as Pythias throughout history: echoing chthonic rites, the visceral hums of the earth, and calling for self-introspection from the visitors who are invited to speak to the Oracle and hear their prophecies. Around Pythia, voices of acolytes, artifacts, and offerings reflect a ritualistic space for contemplation, questioning of identity, agency, and the association of prophecy with power.
Afroditi Psarra aims to explore the possibilities that arise by embedding an AI model in a wearable computer and interacting with it tangibly. The exhibition speculates on technology’s role in exerting control over the female and feminized body, and it interrogates how the use of AI is seen by many as “magic” and as a solutionist fix for all societal issues. The use of this technology is not neutral or passive. As Psarra explains, “Working off-the-cloud with a highly fine-tuned model, I hope to create technologies that are personalized, desirable, and embodied, and allow us to imagine alternative presents and futures.”
This exhibition was supported by DXARTS – University of Washington and Polygreen Culture & Art Initiative (PCAI).
Lecture performance at 7:00 pm during First Thursday receptions
Artist Talk: Friday, November 13, 6:00 – 7:00pm
Join Psarra for a walkthrough of her exhibition and learn more about Pythia Embodied.
About the Artist
Psarra is an Athens-born, Seattle-based multidisciplinary artist and Associate Professor of Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS) at the University of Washington, where she directs the DXARTS Softlab. Her work sits at the intersection of art, science, and critical discourse, exploring the body as an interface and tradition as a method for hacking technological norms. Through cyber crafts, gendered practices, and open-source technologies, she weaves speculative narratives and educational models that both interrogate and open access to knowledge. Psarra’s work has been featured at international festivals such as Ars Electronica, Transmediale and CTM, ISEA, Piksel, Eyeo, Amber, and WRO Biennale, and presented at conferences including SIGGRAPH, ISWC, DIS, Creativity & Cognition, Textile Intersections and EVA. Over the past five years, Psarra has expanded her curatorial practice through Transmission Ecologies, a monthly radio show on Stegi Radio Athens and Wave Farm’s WGXC-90.7 FM, where she highlights artists exploring radio art and electromagnetic interference.