The Values Guiding The New Human Creative Hackathon
The principles guiding project evaluation during the Creative Hackathon — and how we recognize work that feels alive, not finished.
There’s a moment in every experiment when you realize it’s no longer just an idea.
It becomes a direction.
On March 6th, the Hackathon begins at Google, and on March 7th continues at TrueLayer in Milano, teams from the Creative Hackathon will present what they’ve been building around The New Human. Not to win. Not to pitch for funding. But to share signals of what 2036 might feel like. If you are not in Milan, you can participate from wherever you are — online, and through gatherings in cities like San Francisco and beyond.
Some of those projects will continue — to Milano Design Week, to San Francisco, and eventually beyond. Possibly to your city. But before that moment arrives, there’s something more important to name.
What do we actually value? CODAME is not a competition platform. It’s a collaborative experimental lab. And when mentors listen, question, and decide which projects continue, they are guided by something deeper than technical polish. They are guided by the following values:
Vision
We value a clear and intentional perspective on The New Human.
Not hype.
Not fear.
But a thoughtful lens on how mind, body, and society might evolve.
Exploration
We value curiosity over certainty.
Creative risk over safe execution.
Unfinished edges over sterile perfection.
Because the future does not arrive polished.
It arrives messy and alive.
Collaboration
The New Human is not built alone.
We look for teams that combine different archetypes — builders and storytellers, systems thinkers and embodied explorers.
Difference is not friction.
It is creative energy.
Art and Technology
We value meaningful interplay.
Technology shaped by artistic intent.
Art expanded through technological possibility.
Not decoration. Not gimmicks.
But integration.
Depth
We value substance beyond trend language.
Thoughtfulness about implications.
Awareness of consequences.
Care for context.
Resonance
And finally — we value work that leaves a trace.
Something that lingers after the presentation ends.
Something that shifts perception, even slightly.
This year, we frame everything through a simple but intentional perspective:
White Mirror
Not dystopia.
Not passive optimism.
But active imagination.
White Mirror is not about predicting the future. It is about recognizing and amplifying the futures already emerging — through what people create, how they collaborate, and what they choose to care about.
It asks a simple question:
What does a future worth building actually feel like?
The New Human is not defined by tools alone.
It is shaped by archetypes — different ways of sensing, building, questioning, and connecting.
Builders. Storytellers. System thinkers. Embodied explorers. Visionaries. Integrators.
Each represents a way of engaging with change. Each brings a different signal into the room.
You may recognize yourself in one. Or in several.
If you’re curious to explore them, you can start here:
If you want to understand the broader theme of The New Human, start here:
If you have questions, you can explore the FAQ here:
![ART+TECH Festival [2026] - FAQ](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_31!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7210be2e-0a8a-48b6-b5a5-beb63813637b_1024x590.jpeg)
Mentors will not just evaluate. They will listen carefully.
From that dialogue, certain projects will continue their journey — not because they are finished, but because they feel alive.
Milano Design Week is next. San Francisco follows. And from there, we continue — inviting more cities, more minds, more signals into the conversation.
The New Human is not a destination.
It is something we are becoming — together.
This is where imagination becomes reality.
If you feel called to contribute — as a hacker, mentor, artist, technologist, or curious mind — you can join the Creative Hackathon here:
