The Server
Partner Programme
12 Sept 10:00 – 17:45
13 Sept 10:00 – 17:45
14 Sept 10:00 – 17:45
15 Sept 10:00 – 17:45
16 Sept 10:00 – 17:45
17 Sept 10:00 – 17:45
18 Sept 10:00 – 22:00
In Person
FREE
Supported by
Drawing on the museum’s routine practice of object cleaning, the artist-design unit Playfool explores the role of human labour in the age of AI acceleration.
Our online lives unfold as a constant stream of stimulation. Behind the restlessness lies a quiet physical infrastructure. Data centres keep our world running, and the AI race has accelerated their construction. In UK alone, nearly 100 new facilities are reportedly planned for completion in 2030. Highly automated, Playfool zeroes in on the one task in these places that resists automation: cleaning.
Through alternative game design approaches, Playfool encourages visitors to explore the physical upkeep that sustains both the museum collections and the AI infrastructure, reflecting on what has been overlooked in the pursuit of progress.
Co-founded by Daniel Coppen and Saki Maruyama, Playfool is the recipient of V&A’s annual Emerging Design Commission. Their practice explores the transforming dynamic between human agency and technology through the medium of play, inviting critical reimagination of technology.
The new commission was curated by Carrie Chan and produced by Katya Spiers.
Image caption: The Server (Digital render, 2026), Playfool
