In three tandem presentations and conversations between scientists and artists we explore how they engage with each other, what topics drive them, and what research is currently happening in the field of AI at the ETH AI Center.
Artistic interest and work in the fields of science and technology, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), has been ongoing for over half a century. Lately, these attempts have generated a lot of attention and turned art into a topic of high interest in science and technology research, as well as development thanks to AI affecting all of human society.
Following anthropologist, anarchist and activist David Graeber’s observation that real thought is almost entirely dialogic and mainly in conversation, we engage with each other to open the «window of consciousness – that time during which most of us actually are full self-aware, self-reflective beings» as long as possible. Transdisciplinary conversations therefore are crucial in the demystifying the future of AI.
Events
Siyu Tang and her group use AI to self-generate motion, movement, form and posture for synthetic digital humans. Aparna Rao in her artist duo Pors & Rao works with artistic and aesthetic knowledge on creating lifelike motions that can express emotions and moods for non-living objects.
«Motion» could be a pivotal term for their conversation, approaching it almost from diametrical points of view.
Sat, June 11, 14:00 – 15:00 | EN
Inge Herrmann and her team are designing and developing conceptionally novel nanotechnology-enabled solutions for precision medicine based on an interdisciplinary design-thinking approach by «coloring» nanoparticles. Liat Grayver is training the e-David painting robot to explore various approaches of how to integrate robotic and computer languages in the processes of painting and creative image-making.
Both are working on different ways of «seeing» and «visualization»; while Hermann is «painting» with nanoparticles in unexplored spaces, Grayver generates new aestethics with robots.
Sat, June 11, 15:00 – 16:00 | EN
As a part of Gramazio Kohler Architects Fabio Gramazio opened the world’s first architectural robotic laboratory at ETH Zurich and is researching additive digital fabrication techniques used for building non-standardized architectural components. With this kind of three-dimensional printing process they interweave functional and aesthetic qualities into structures and “inform” architecture through to the level of material.
One of Christian Waldvogel’s scientific artistic thought experiments - a hyperbolic cosmology of inversion - led to the discovery of Adaptive Density Minimal Surfaces (ADMS) and to the founding of spherene AG, that develops Autonomous Design software used in 3D printing for various high-tech applications such as medical implants or satellite components. He elegantly bridged the gap from conceptual art to tech innovation.
Three-dimensional printing of complex aesthetic «structures» is the meeting place of Gramzio’s and Waldvogel’s practices, both combining architecture, art and technology thinking in their work.
Sat, June 11, 16:00 – 17:00 | EN