30.11.24 – 19.01.2025
"GRENZEN" at STAPFLEHUS Galerie Weil-am-Rhein (DE) > an AI-curated exhibition
Opening: Saturday, November 30, 12:30 PM
Opening speech: District Administrator Marion Dammann
Welcome speech: Mayor Lorenz Wehrle, Cultural Office Director Peter Spörrer & Gallery Director Patrick Luetzelschwab
Introduction to the exhibition: Die Kuratorin (AI)
Participating artists: Aleksey Shchigalev (CH), Stephanie Seidlitz (DE), Nguyen Phuong Thao (FR), Huang Yen Che (FR), Nathalie Papatzikakis (CH), Sandra Albrecht (DE), Paula Santomé (CH), Shahane Shakhbazyan (DE), Annett Andersch (FR), Olivia Abächerli (CH), Enrico Luisoni (CH), Ouissem Moalla (FR), Iris Hutegger (CH), Pavel Aguilar (CH), Katharina Rüll (CH), Julia Leuenberger (CH), Elzara Oiseau (CH), Igor Ponosov (FR)
Program :
Curator's Talk > December 8, 2024, 4:00 PM
Lecture > December 12, 2024, 7:00 PM
Artist's Talk > December 22, 2024, 4:00 PM
Lecture > January 12, 2025, 4:00 PM
"Weiler Erzähler" Storyteller > January 14, 2025, 7:00 PM
Panel Discussion > January 16, 2025, 7:00 PM
Finissage > January 19, 2025, 4:00 PM
GRENZEN (Borders) >
an AI-curated exhibition
The Regionale art exhibition is a cross-border project that is unique in this form. 21 institutions from Switzerland, Germany, and France present artistic positions from the tri-national region at the end of the year. The Regionale is open to all artists from the tri-border area.
A core aspect this year at the Städtische Galerie Stapflehus is the use of artificial intelligence, both in curating and carrying out the project. This includes the creation of exhibition texts, press releases, social media content, the opening speech for the exhibition, and much more. The role of AI in art and in the selection of works for an exhibition with such a profound and far-reaching theme as "Boundaries" offers fascinating opportunities, but also carries risks. AI allows us to recognize patterns in the submitted dossiers and make connections that human curators might overlook. This analytical capacity enables us to consider a broad range of perspectives, thereby creating a truly diverse and inclusive exhibition. The challenge lies in maintaining fairness and objectivity while ensuring thematic depth and artistic quality. AI helps us minimize biases and ensure balanced representation of artists. This is particularly relevant at a time when discussions about fairness and transparency are becoming more prominent across all sectors of society, including the art world.
At the same time, we are aware of the risks associated with the use of AI. The question of how technology influences and possibly changes art is complex. It is important to us that AI serves as a tool that supports and enhances artistic expression and human creativity, rather than replacing them. We see AI as a partner in the curatorial process, opening new perspectives and contributing to the diversity of the exhibition, without displacing the irreplaceable human intuition and emotional depth. In addition to the exhibition, we are offering a series of lectures on artificial intelligence, where we will delve deeper into the role of AI in art and society. These lectures provide a platform for discussion and exchange on the opportunities and challenges arising from the interaction between technology and human creativity.
Curator's Talk: December 8, 2024, 4:00 PM
Curator's Talk with AI: "From Idea to Realization"
This guided tour will attempt to shed light on the entire process that led to the conception and realization of this exhibition. It is an experiment that expands the boundaries of traditional curating and explores new ways of engaging with art, technology, and human creativity. The idea of using AI as a curator emerged from the question of how artificial intelligence can contribute to curatorial practice and perhaps even open new perspectives in art mediation.
Lecture: December 12, 2024, 7:00 PM
"Can AI Create Art?" with Matthias Zehnder, author and media scholar
Welcome speech: Mayor Stöcker
Is it art when AI produces texts, images, or music? Does AI understand the artistic aspect of a work when it analyzes texts, images, or music? These two questions are at the core of "Can AI Create Art?" Matthias Zehnder will answer them through a brief introduction to how AI works. The short answer: Even if it reads like literature, looks like art, or sounds like music—what AI produces is meaningless. Just as artificial intelligence only imitates real intelligence, it can only imitate art. The weak spot isn’t AI itself but the human observer, who often struggles to distinguish imitation from true art or true intelligence.
Artist Talk: December 22, 2024, 4:00 PM
As part of the "Boundaries" exhibition at the Städtische Galerie Stapflehus in Weil am Rhein, an exciting artist talk will take place, where the participating artists will present their works and the ideas behind them. The moderated discussion offers a unique opportunity to meet the artists in person and gain deeper insights into their creative processes and concepts. It invites active participation, encouraging attendees to ask questions and engage in an open dialogue with the artists.
Participating artists:
Annett Andersch, Igor Ponosov, Iris Hutteger, Elzara Oiseau, Nathalie Papatzikakis, Julia Leuenberger, Katharina Rüll, Ouissem Moalla, Huang Yen Che
Lecture: January 12, 2025, 4:00 PM
"Functions and Possibilities of AI" with Timo Kropp, programmer
What is a neural network? How does modern artificial intelligence work, and is it truly intelligent? This lecture will answer these and other exciting questions about neural networks and their applications. We will take a close look under the hood of modern AI with practical examples from image processing/generation across three levels of complexity, gradually addressing key questions. Finally, we will examine how DALL·E functions (the image generator behind ChatGPT).
Weiler Erzähler: January 14, 2025, 7:00 PM
"Natural Stories with Artificial Intelligence?"
Are there not enough stories in the world that can be told and find their audience? Should we, as storytellers, venture beyond our many books to explore stories that AI, like ChatGPT, can create for us?
We will take up this contemporary idea and are eager to see what happens when we let AI generate stories based on our prompts. Some of these stories will be presented by the storytellers, followed by a discussion with the audience—how does ChatGPT assist us, and where does it still need our help?
Panel Discussion: January 16, 2025, 7:00 PM
"AI and Human Creativity: A Tension" at the Haus der Volksbildung in Weil am Rhein, in cooperation with the Volkshochschule Weil am Rhein
Welcome speech: Mayor Diana Stöcker, Cultural Office Director Peter Spörrer
Moderation: Tonio Passlick
This moderated panel discussion will explore how artificial intelligence and human creativity interact. The discussion will focus on whether and to what extent AI influences or even replaces creative processes, and what new opportunities and challenges arise for artists. In this tension, AI's role will be examined both as a tool for inspiration and as an independent creator. The goal is to understand how a balance between technological innovation and human expression can be achieved, and what ethical and aesthetic implications this balance entails.
Participants:
Dr. Isabel Balzer (Kunstverein Weil am Rhein), Katharina Rüll (artist in the exhibition), Ana Vujic (artist > declined AI curation), Matthias Zehnder (author and media scholar focusing on media, digitalization, artificial intelligence, ethics), Timo Kropp (programmer), Patrick Luetzelschwab (Director of Städtische Galerie Stapflehus)
Finissage: January 19, 2025, 4:00 PM