SHIFT
AI and a future community 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is considered a key technology of the 21st century. Although it partly looks like science fiction, it has long since arrived in the middle of society. Well-known applications are autonomous driving, voice assistants or smart devices. But it was only the recent, groundbreaking publication of the text generator tool Chat-GPT that brought the discussion about the opportunities and risks of this rapidly advancing technology into the mainstream.

However, many AI-driven processes also take place more or less in covertly and, in conjunction with other scientific methods, are already exerting an almost unnoticed influence on political, economic and social processes. The exhibition presents nine international artistic positions that reflect on the complex social contexts of AI and make them comprehensible. The term “SHIFT” (meaning-transition, change) underlines the thesis that this digital technology permanently changes the idea of a community. In this way, the artworks open up surprising perspectives on a future in which humans, nature and technology are in an ideally cooperative relationship. The artistic contributions pose probing questions and, at the same time, open up constructive perspectives: How does AI relate to concepts of reason, freedom and responsibility? Can humans, AI-controlled robots, avatars and biological microorganisms such as bacteria work together constructively? Also, can AI possibly make the world even more human?

Artists

Louisa Clement, Heather Dewey-Hagborg, Christoph Faulhaber, kennedy+swan, knowbotiq, Christian Kosmas Mayer, Philippe Parreno, Hito Steyerl, Jenna Sutela

The exhibition was developed jointly by Museum Marta Herford and Kunstmuseum Stuttgart (on view there from 04.02. – 21.05.23).

Thank you

Funded by

The exhibition at Marta Herford is additionally supported by

For the works by Philippe Parreno

For the works by knowbotiq