Salvatore Vitale

Salvatore Vitale: Automated Refusal

Curated by Tim Clark.

Automated Refusal is part of Death by GPS, an examination of how automation technologies are reshaping labour and revealing the contradictions of digital capitalism.

In Automated Refusal, Salvatore Vitale explores the fragile realities of gig work, where surveillance, rankings, and long hours blur the boundaries between life and labour. The film questions how technology reshapes the relationship between people and their environments in the digital age.

Blending observation and fiction, the work examines how automation transforms not only work but also identity and social connection. Through fragmented storytelling and interrupted rhythms, it mirrors the instability of digital labour and the uncertainty of those who depend on it.

The video follows four freelancers navigating the precarious tech economy. Their stories unfold in parallel, each revealing personal strategies of refusal and quiet resistance. Rather than showing open rebellion, the film focuses on small acts of defiance, such as moments of hesitation, retreat, or persistence that reveal traces of agency within systems of control.

Grounded in research, interviews, and situational testimonies, Automated Refusal reimagines these experiences through scenes that combine elements of reality and fiction. The result is a portrait of contemporary labour marked by contradiction and endurance.

Vitale explores the tension between automation, exploitation, and the search for autonomy, reminding us that even in technological systems, human presence remains essential.