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MAGAZINE

AI BIENNALE, ESSEN

REIMAGINE TOMORROW, 1954–2024

17–24 NOVEMBER 2024 | AI BIENNALE, ESSEN

REIMAGINE TOMORROW, 1954–2024. AI IN CONTEXT #2

GENERATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY REVISITED. FROM LIGHT TO CODE

GOTTFRIED JÄGER AND HEIN GRAVENHORST | GALLERY

16 OCTOBER – 5 NOVEMBER 2024 | GALLERY

GOTTFRIED JÄGER AND HEIN GRAVENHORST: GENERATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY REVISITED. FROM LIGHT TO CODE

HIGHLIGHTS

X (am dancen), 2021

Nylon Gradient Berlin, 2012

No Theater Bench Prototype, 2019

Wavy, 2021

NEW SELECTION

ARTIST

EXHIBITION

Monika Fleischmann and Wolfgang Strauss are Berlin-based digital art pioneers. Since the mid-1980s, they have been working at the intersection of art and technology, ranging from virtual reality and interactive environments to generative art, consistently exploring code and computers as artistic media. The artist duo broke new ground by forming interdisciplinary teams in technical and scientific environments. They approached emerging technologies as tools and sources of artistic inspiration and cultural transformation. Their pivotal role in the history of digital art was cemented in 1987 when they co-founded ART+COM, Germany's first research institute for digital media, art, and architecture.

NEW MEDIA ART AND VIRTUAL REALITY

MONIKA FLEISCHMANN & WOLFGANG STRAUSS: CREATING VIRTUAL WORLDS LIKE FAIRY TALES

ANIKA MEIER IN CONVERSATION WITH MONIKA FLEISCHMANN AND WOLFGANG STRAUSS

CREATING VIRTUAL WORLDS LIKE FAIRY TALES

CONVERSATION ABOUT NEW MEDIA ART AND VIRTUAL REALITY

the dreamhouse experience, Berlin, 2013

the house of fun, Morro Bay, 2012

trou noir, Berlin, 2014

MAXIME BALLESTEROS

Instagram has influenced Leah Schrager's artistic practice, merging photography and performance art through projects like NAKED THERAPY and her signature series, INFINITY SELFIE, which allows her to share nude images by repeating them. Despite gaining around 3 million followers, she found that her success on Instagram hindered attention for her music projects, particularly due to a predominantly male audience. This led her to collaborate on a female-friendly project called MAN HANDS, which explored celebrity culture over two years. However, the project was interrupted by COVID-19, leaving her feeling that she still has work to share to complete that narrative.

Leah Schrager discusses the complexities surrounding women's images once they are published, noting that they can go viral, be censored, or provoke a range of reactions. She expresses a more accepting attitude towards these challenges, recognizing that change takes time and emphasizing her role as a voice in the conversation. In her work ALIGNED WITH THE UNIVERSE, she embraces imperfections from AI generation, seeing them as markers of time and symbols of authenticity. Living remotely in the Sonoran Desert has increased her appreciation for online connection, motivating her to engage with the community through releasing her work as NFTs.

In conversation with Anika Meier, Leah Schrager discusses censorship on Instagram, the evolution of selfie feminism, and how working with AI has changed her artistic practice.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND CENSORSHIP

LEAH SCHRAGER: THE EVOLUTION OF SELFIE FEMINISM

ANIKA MEIER IN CONVERSATION WITH LEAH SCHRAGER

THE EVOLUTION OF SELFIE FEMINISM

CONVERSATION ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND CENSORSHIP

I WILL WAIT FOR YOU TO..., 2022

Yesterday's Feelings

IN FAIL WE TRUST by David Pher is a tribute to society and politics of today, which must fail thoroughly first as it seems to get back on a straight and peaceful path. 
BIO David Pher is an abstract painter based in Berlin. Growing up in a house full of art in the 1980s in the middle of Germany, he fell in love with intense colors and abstract painting early on in his life. His eclectic pieces present vivid compositions of intense color, sharp contrasts, and daring compositions while often opening windows into dream worlds, where preternatural beings lay in wait for a beholder to interpret their mysteries. Emerging from an interplay of intention and craftsmanship with spontaneity and chance, his artworks often feature scrawlings of cryptic language and integrate subtle interactions between darker elements and an arresting levity of evocative colors.
ABOUT THE EDITION The artist individualizes each edition by adding acrylic paint elements, making each work unique.
ABOUT THE FRAME The frame is white lacquered ayous wood with acrylic glass that has 84% UV protection. Framed dimensions are 63 x 63 cm; 24.8 x 24.8 in.
ABOUT THE 24-HOUR EDITION DROP The 24-HOUR EDITION DROP is a concept that allows artists to sell an unlimited number of physical editions within a limited time frame of 24 hours. Each 24-HOUR EDITION DROP edition will be available for 24 hours only, then never again.
The editions are numbered randomly, i.e., the edition number is not chronologically assigned to the time of order receipt. All 24-HOUR EDITION DROP prints are made to order. Each artwork will be produced and personalized specifically for each client; therefore, the artwork is not eligible for return.

In Fail We Trust

"A currywurst is no longer just a sausage topped with tomato sauce and curry. It is the greatest thing that Berlin street food culture has to offer. It has long arrived at the Olympus of German culture. From a construction worker‘s quick snack to the cravings of Berlin's party scene, it has become a culinary delight. Served in a small cardboard tray with a plastic prick or plated on fine porcelain with proper cutlery, made of pork or vegan, with or without sausage gut, in one piece or cut into bite-size morsels, the choice is yours. In addition to the club culture and Checkpoint Charlie, the currywurst calls people from near and far. Because in front of a currywurst, all people are equal – hunger becomes happiness."  – Albrecht/Wilke
Each edition will be personalized by the artist duo Albrecht/Wilke with various depictions of their choice such as a sausage dog, a cloud, or a dwarf. About the Frame The frame is black glazed ayous wood with acrylic glass that has 84% UV protection. Framed dimensions are 63 cm x 43 cm; 24 3/4 x 16 3/4 in.
About 24-Hour Edition Drops The 24-HOUR EDITION DROP is a concept that allows artists to sell an unlimited number of physical editions within the limited timeframe of 24 hours on misa.art. Each edition is available for 24 hours only, then never again.
The editions are numbered randomly; the edition number is not chronologically assigned to the time of order receipt. All 24-HOUR EDITION DROP prints are made to order. Each artwork is produced and personalized specifically for each client. The artwork, therefore, is not eligible for return.

Wursthunger, 2022

EDITIONS: SUMMER ARCHIVE (2024)

Aaron Huey transitioned from studying traditional art forms to photography, finding it to be an ideal medium for his travels to remote areas. His experiences documenting protests and communities inspired him to create more profound narratives, including work for National Geographic. When he gained access to the National Geographic Instagram account in 2012, it provided an opportunity to share more authentic and behind-the-scenes imagery without the lengthy editorial processes. This shift empowered photographers to communicate impactful stories directly to a vast audience, highlighting the potential of images to influence reality.

Huey plays an integral role in the ongoing evolution of photography, particularly highlighting the rise of AI-assisted imagery and its potential for artistic innovation. He expresses skepticism about the art world’s focus on commercial success rather than genuine talent. While he is excited about the creative possibilities of new technologies, he also emphasizes the critical need for photojournalism in a society increasingly disconnected from reality. Huey acknowledges the challenges posed by misinformation and the skepticism surrounding visual evidence, reflecting on his dual role as an artist and a photojournalist concerned about data integrity and the implications of these changes.

On the occasion of the exhibition REIMAGINE TOMORROW, 1954–2024, Anika Meier and Aaron Huey discuss his artistic beginnings, his photography for National Geographic and in the metaverse, image-making in the age of AI and Trump, and his predictions for the future of photography.

AI AND PHOTOGRAPHY

AARON HUEY: A NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC RENAISSANCE?

ANIKA MEIER IN CONVERSATION WITH AARON HUEY

A NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC RENAISSANCE?

CONVERSATION ABOUT AI AND PHOTOGRAPHY

For nearly a decade, Merzmensch has been exploring the creative side of generative AI. He has experimented with the most accessible models and approaches, from Google's Deep Dream in 2016 to RunwayML in 2024. As a creative member of the OpenAI Community Ambassador Group since 2020, Merzmensch's goal has always been to unleash the creativity of AI by pushing these models to their limits. His 2021 series, EVE OF DIFFUSION (MONA LISA DRINKING WINE WITH DA VINCI), tested the cultural and theoretical knowledge of DALL-E 1, to which he gained early access.

In conversation with Anika Meier, Merzmensch discusses the early days of AI diffusion models, the inspiration for his series EVE OF DIFFUSION, and what it means to live in a "post-truth" society.

AI AND ART

MERZMENSCH: "WE CANNOT STOP TEACHING VISUAL LITERACY"

ANIKA MEIER IN CONVERSATION WITH MERZMENSCH

"WE CANNOT STOP TEACHING VISUAL LITERACY"

CONVERSATION ABOUT AI AND CREATIVITY

HISTORY 

ABOUT

EXPANDED.ART presents yesterday's pioneers and today's avant-garde as an online marketplace. 



Partnered with PROOF, Fellowship, Verse, MUD Gallery (Shanghai), fx(hash) 2.0, objkt.one, Foundation, Highlight.xyz, VERTICAL, Photo Edition Berlin, elementum, Emergent Properties, and Annka Kultys. 

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