SOUGWEN CHUNG AND BORIS ELDAGSEN | GALLERY

On the occasion of Berlin Art Week, EXPANDED.ART will launch the new program, AI IN CONTEXT. The first exhibition as part of this program, dedicated to education on AI and art, will open on 11 September, 6-9 PM CET: Sougwen Chung and Boris Eldagsen, with a performance by Jiny Lan. Curated by Anika Meier.

Sougwen 愫君 Chung is a Chinese-Canadian artist and researcher, widely considered a pioneer in the field of human-machine collaboration. Sougwen’s work, MEMORY is part of the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum and is the first AI model to be collected by a major institution. Recently, Chung was recognized as a Cultural Leader at the World Economic Forum, one of four recipients of the TIME100 Impact award, and named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in AI.

"With all the hype, it’s easy to forget that there’s no such thing as a single artificial intelligence because there’s no such thing as a single natural intelligence. I’ve come to think of my approach of learning through systems — deemed intelligent or otherwise — as a creative catalyst. There is meaning in the data, but it’s not the meaning we are given; it’s the meaning we make."

– Sougwen Chung in the New York Times

Boris Eldagsen is the artist who made headlines by turning down the prestigious Sony Photography World Award in 2023. In a world where AI sparks debates between haters and worshippers, Eldagsen offers a unique perspective that transcends the binary narrative.

Eldagsen suggests using the term 'promptography' to differentiate between traditional photographs and AI-generated images. He believes that promptography expands beyond traditional photography, encompassing a variety of visual forms such as drawing, painting, and 3D graphics.

PERFORMANCE
For Chinese feminist artist Jiny Lan, art and critique are interwoven. Having grown up and studied art in China, she experienced early that creating art freely is a privilege—one she didn't have but was willing to fight for. She is a founding member of the Bald Girls, the first feminist artist group in Chinese history.

From the New York Times in 2012 about the first exhibition of the BALD GIRLS in Beijing:

"Feminist art in China, a country where very few women dare say they are feminists for fear of social ostracism, is still a tiny phenomenon. But, in fact, the show on Saturday didn’t need the censorship to have an impact. The artist’s actions were dramatic enough."

When they named the group BALD GIRLS, they didn‘t plan to shave their hair off. But because several artworks had been censored at their first exhibition opening, they spontaneously decided to shave each other's hair. The BALD GIRLS made the statement in public that they are feminist artists. Long, glossy hair is a traditional Chinese standard of female beauty.

What statement will Jiny Lan make with her upcoming performance titled 'Eyewitnesses Wanted for Artist'?

More info soon about the exhibition and the performance.