In 2001, the Gdańsk-based artist collective CUKT (Centralny Urząd Kultury Technicznej, or Central Bureau of Technical Culture) – including Rafał Ewertowski, Robert Michał Jurkowski, Jacek Niegoda, Maciej Sienkiewicz, and Piotr Wyrzykowski – launched an unconventional campaign for a fictional presidential candidate, Wiktoria Cukt. Operating as a “virtual personality,” Wiktoria had no intrinsic views and was instead guided by a bespoke computer program called Electoral Citizen Software (Obywatelski Software Wyborczy). This program allowed Polish citizens to contribute to and shape the candidate’s political platform, embodying the concept of collective authorship and “electronic democracy.”
Wiktoria’s campaign, grounded in her slogan “Politicians Are Obsolete,” envisioned a future where traditional political systems would be replaced by citizen-driven electronic governance. Described as the embodiment of both realistic and unrealistic aspirations, Wiktoria presented herself as an impartial reflection of her contributors’ views, adopting their inclinations, whether polite or vulgar, leftist or conservative.
CUKT carried out professional campaign activities, including exhibitions in various Polish cities and media appearances that blurred the lines between political messaging and art. Wiktoria’s image, styled as an elegant and charismatic middle-aged woman, graced billboards, magazines, and other media, generating significant public and critical interest. On election day, the campaign culminated in an exhibition at the Art Museum in Łódź, curated by Maria Morzuch, marking the campaign as a work of conceptual art.
