_     _    _     .        . o  _   _  .  _       .    o  
__   _____ (_)___| | _(_)   __ _ _ __   __| | | |__ (_)___
\ \ / / _ \| / __| |/ / |  / _` | '_ \ / _` | | '_ \| / __|     .
 \ V / (_) | \__ \   <| | | (_| | | | | (_| | | | | | \__ \
  \_/ \___/|_|___/_|\_\_|  \__,_|_| |_|\__,_| |_| |_|_|___/ .     .
                                                          
       _                   __      _                _   .     .      .    
__   _(_)_ __ _   _ ___   / _|_ __(_) ___ _ __   __| |___ 
\ \ / / | '__| | | / __| | |_| '__| |/ _ \ '_ \ / _` / __|  .  . 
 \ V /| | |  | |_| \__ \ |  _| |  | |  __/ | | | (_| \__ \   o   o
  \_/ |_|_|   \__,_|___/ |_| |_|  |_|\___|_| |_|\__,_|___/
                         .   .        .   .    .      .       .
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 .           .        .           .         .      .      .         .
         .         o          o          o             o        o
     .         .         .         .          .       _  ________
           .                            .            /  /  .   .     . .
                  ________    .      _______________/__/___         ____
        .        $^^^^V^^^$          \_____________________\_______/
                |          |    .            \  \   \   \          \_______
           .    | ==== ====|       ___/\___   \  \   \_  \____   o . .   .
   .           (| ^   |  ^ |)         \_ \____
      o         |    ___   |   .     / /\ \___     _________
                |          |          / /\/       | |     | |
           o     \_________/        __    |       | |_____| |    o      o
                /          \________\ \__________/|  _____  |
    o          /                    | |          || |   ||| |
              /   /_________________| |__________||_|___|||_|  o      o
        o    |                      | /
             |______________________|/     o         o            o        o
            /                \
           /                  \   o       o       o      o             o         


We all know VOISKI the sympathetic Parisian space techno producer that is
banging out hit after hit and touring the world - but did you know he used
to collect computer viruses? He even put them on micro SD cards in a taxidermy
case and studied their back stories, dissecting the source code looking for
clues. The most fascinating ones ended up in his book about these digital
lifeforms called 'Agonizing Memories'.

What is so mesmerizing about Computer Virusses?
Voiski: They are fascinating ferocious digital beasts, artificially alive in
the computer world. Some were particularly deadly and their outcome would
cost several millions of dollar$$$$$$$$$ to companies and states of the world.

But what really fascinates me is the various motivations of their creators.
Wether it be arrogance, revenge, love, money, anger -political or not, or just
to show off onces skills....there are so many stories behind these viruses.
Like a teenager asking some programmers to destroy his parents computer.

I think some of those computer viruses are the keys of a certain electronic
history. I have always been more excited by hackers comments than their codes
itself. When the impulse of destruction reveal a weird subversive way of
expression for a generation of nerdy kids.

How did you get into collecting computer viruses?
I started pretty late, in 2007, the scene was pretty much gone, there used
to be a big community of people collecting viruses once.
I was studying computer programming at school and I remembered this famous
"I LOVE YOU" virus, this one always fascinated me: It infected 3.1 millions
of CPU's in only four days simply by generating fake love letters supposedly
coming from your friends and colleagues. It said a lot about the pervading
state of frustration in society.

So I searched for this virus's Source code and studied it. I was amazed!
Not in a technical way but by the fact it was made by 23 year old student
who made it after his tutors rejected his thesis on computer security saying
it was not interesting.
He started his Virus with the words 'I Hate go to School'.

Why did you write the book?
I wrote the 'Agonizing Memories' book in 2011, as a compilation of my favorite
viruses, the most romantic and bizzare ones. Each virus has a brief explanation,
its history and how it works...and its source code.

Where did you keep the viruses? Did you have a secure habitat for them
I kept them on a small harddrive I bought especially for this task. And also
on small SD cards that I kept in a taxidermy case, one of those you normally
keep bugs and butterflies in. Check a picture here.

As a collector would you run them on 'unconnected safe' computers just to see
what happenend? How the viruses would contaminate the computer?
My computers at home were already too modern for them to be able to run.
They simply did not have the vulnerabilities to let them work anymore.

Where you scared they would contaminate your computer?
I was more scared that my antivirus would catch them without asking and
destroy my precious collection!

Did you ever make a virus and what was its story?
I actually made one yes, in 2012 for a group exhibition at the centre Pompidou
called repetition island. The exhibition was orchestrating a series of actions
throughout the day that would repeat themselves...a bit like that Groundhog
day movie with Bill Murray.
My piece was a virus which infected the computer that was running a light
installation by another artist. His piece was supposed to start at 4:00pm but
my virus was locking its clock at 3:59. It would show a dialog box with a
riddle, an enigma sort of...so someone had to find the answer to this and
the installation would run again. An example of such a riddle would be
"I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will.
I am the confidence of all. To live on this terrestrial ball"
what is it?????????

You can read the full PDF of the 'AGONIZING MEMORIES" book here