House of Mirrors: Artificial Intelligence as Phantasm

09. April 2022 - 31. July 2022 Dortmunder U, Level 3

 

The exhibition House of Mirrors: Artificial Intelligence as Phantasm takes the common clichés about AI as an opportunity to talk about issues such as hidden human labor, algorithmic bias/discrimination, the problem of categorization and classification, and our fantasies about AI. It asks whether (and how) it is possible for us to reclaim agency in this context. Featuring more than 20 artistic works by international artists, the exhibition is divided into seven thematic chapters. The scenography of the exhibition is reminiscent of a giant house of mirrors.

“Enter the hall of mirrors, which reflects human reality, sometimes in direct reflections, sometimes in a distorting mirror, sometimes through a glass pane that promises transparency or a semi-transparent mirror that reflects on one side and is translucent on the other.” (Inke Arns, Marie Lechner, Francis Hunger – curators)

Exhibition opening: The exhibition opening will take place on Friday, 08 April 2022 as a soft opening (17:00 - 22:00). At 20:00 the curators will give a short guided tour (in English language) through the exhibition online via livestream (https://vimeo.com/698120107).

Publication: Inke Arns, Francis Hunger, Marie Lechner (eds.), House of Mirrors: Artificial Intelligence as Phantasm, HMKV exhibition magazine 2022/1, with texts by Inke Arns, Adam Harvey, Francis Hunger and Marie Lechner (design: e o t, Berlin), Dortmund: Kettler, 2022.

Event programme: Between April and July 2022, numerous film screenings, lectures, panel discussions, workshops and a symposium will take place as part of the exhibition House of Mirrors: Artificial Intelligence as Phantasm.

Image credit: Key Visual of the exhibition "House of Mirrors: Artificial Intelligence as Phantasm", HMKV at the Dortmunder U, 09 April – 31 July 2022. Design: e o t Berlin

The exhibition is funded by the:

Funded by:

 

 

The HMKV is funded by:

 

    

The programme is funded by:

Media partners:

You will find press material on this program item in our press area.

Artists

Aram Bartholl
Pierre Cassou-Noguès
Stéphane Degoutin
Sean Dockray
Jake Elwes
Anna Engelhardt
Nicolas Gourault
Adam Harvey + Jules LaPlace
Libby Heaney
Lauren Huret
Zheng Mahler
Lauren Lee McCarthy
Simone C Niquille
Elisa Giardina Papa
Julien Prévieux
Anna Ridler
RYBN
Sebastian Schmieg
Gwenola Wagon
Conrad Weise
Mushon Zer-Aviv

Curators

Inke Arns
Francis Hunger
Marie Lechner

Magazine

The exhibition magazine as a free download (PDF) can be found here – the printed version is available on site at the HMKV exhibition space and per order via Verlag Kettler. Further information here!

Event program at a glance (PDF)

Booklet - Artwork Descriptions (PDF)

Press Reviews

“Last year I saw an interesting exhibition on the topic of Artificial Intelligence at the HMKV in Dortmund. There, the hype was (not only) illustrated with artistic means and the background of all the playful contemporary apps was shown.”  Linus Volkmann for Musikexpress, 4.05.2023

“The show managed to present the complex topic of 'artificial intelligence' in a sensual and factual way.”
Magdalena Kröner, "The Museum Year 2022", Category: Best Exhibition. Published in 'Welt Am Sonntag', 11.12.2022

"Linus Volkmann met the two glamorous eccentrics [Dagobert and Kay Shanghai] in Dortmund next to the exhibition “House Of Mirrors” at Hartware Medienkunstverein." Kaput Magazine, 17.07.2022

"This convenience world comes through the door smooth and easy, but has skeletons in the cellar. Its wishful and fearful spaces - the phantasms of artificial intelligence - is what 'House of Mirrors' aims to evoke and critically reflect." Monopol Magazine, July / August 2022.

"Anyone who wanders between the many mirrors and mirror images in the Dortmund exhibition can easily lose their orientation. Suddenly we are faced with our own fears and taboos disguised as phantasms. Nightmares and wishful thinking alternate: artificial intelligence as overwhelming ruler or saviour, in any case as the "other" of man." - Kultur.West, 13/05/2022

"In the Dortmunder U, the Hartware MedienKunstVerein (HMKV) is showing a terrific exhibition on this subject. After visiting, I no longer attribute artificial intelligence to my old chess game console either - I seem to be too bad after all." - Trailer Ruhr, 05/02/2022

"In Dortmund, the exhibition 'House of Mirrors' deals with the dangers of artificial intelligence." – ZDF Aspekte, 04/29/2022

Interview with Inke Arns – Neue Künste Ruhr, 04/29/2022

"Anyone interested in the subject area should go there. Also well suited for visitors with an affinity for technology." – Revierpassagen, 04/10/2022

"To clear up a popular misconception about artificial intelligence (AI) at the outset: 'AI is neither artificial nor intelligent.' " – Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 04/08/2022

 

Photo Gallery – Soft Opening

Photo Gallery – Exhibition