[spectre] Invitation to preview "To see and to be seen". Artificial intelligence_ exhibition at RUINE DER KÜNSTE BERLIN

[Timo Kahlen via SPECTRE]

"To see and to be seen.
Artificial Intelligence and Human Perception"

„Sehen und gesehen werden
Künstliche Intelligenz und menschliche Wahrnehmung“


Curated by Timo Kahlen

Invitation to the exhibition preview on Sunday, September 3, 2023 from 3 - 6 pm
(Performance at 15:30)

Exhibition from September 3 - September 24, 2023
open every Sunday from 15 - 18 pm
(Performance at 15:30)

Ruine der Künste Berlin
Hittorfstr. 5, 14195 Berlin (Dahlem)
U3 Freie Universität
Free admission


Press Release:

We are treading on thin ice. Will AI, Artificial Intelligence, take over the 
way we see, feel and perceive, experience and shape our world in the future? 
And what about the grey areas of the mind: what we (don't) think and do, what 
we (don't) feel and want, what we dream of and (occasionally) destroy? Will all 
this be read and seen, interpreted and stored, digitally mapped, reproduced, 
replicated and recreated by machines in the future? Will AI 'ruin' the 
foundations of art and culture? Or will human creativity, the individual urge 
to create, the intentional imperfection, prevail - at a time when the ethical, 
social, copyright and privacy issues of AI are still unresolved, or at best in 
limbo? Just like the concept of 'artificial intelligence' itself.

Initiated and curated by Timo Kahlen, the exhibition at the Ruine der Künste 
Berlin is a mind game: it drafts a field of tension between AI and human 
design, plays with the reciprocal relationship between pre- and after-images, 
reflects on the relationship between immaterial idea and material 
representation.

In the exhibition, a total of 40 hand-drawn portraits by 40 different, as yet 
unknown artists, fascinating interpretations and variants of one and the same 
photographic source image (a series of self-portraits by the Polish artist 
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz from the 1930s), are juxtaposed with more than 40 
(out of countless) generations of digital images created in just a few seconds 
by artificial intelligence: all of them portraits of an anonymous, early female 
protagonist of photography at the time of its invention (1839). Similar to the 
creation of the drawings, the digital images of the person(s) portrayed are 
based on a single source: a prompt in the command line of the AI used, only a 
few lines long, briefly describing the desired and fictitious result. Thus, the 
resulting images are not 'photographs' in the strict sense of the word, but 
diffuse memories, generated 'summa summarum' by the AI, consistently 
self-similar and self-referential, yet in part convincingly 'alive', by means 
of a diffusion process: that is, from the sum of all images machine-read, 
'learnt' and 'seen' in the internet. 

The precisely staged current exhibition at the Ruine der Künste Berlin is 
complemented by a live performance (every Sunday at 3:30 pm).


You are cordially invited to the exhibition opening on
on Sunday, September 3, 2023 from 3 - 6 pm.

Admission is free of charge.

Open also by appointment
at m...@timo-kahlen.de

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[spectre] 'aicons': artificial intelligence and the art world. by Timo Kahlen

[Timo Kahlen via SPECTRE]

Dear friends, artists and curious minds !

Some thoughts on artificial intelligence,
on effortless ‚aicons',
and my best wishes
for the year to come.

See text below.
Timo Kahlen





Timo Kahlen / AI
x + 1
AI-generated images, 2023
from the ‚aicons‘ series


It’s all too easy. Effortless, generated at the spur of the moment - ex tempore 
- by artificial intelligence from a minimal input, my short written prompt spit 
at the machine - and diffused, composed, rendered online within split seconds, 
as multiple variations of iconic images - call them ‚aicons‘, if you will - 
capturing my attention, entangling my emotions and twisting my beliefs. All too 
easy, no sweat and tears, appropriating - summa summarum - all avant-gardes of 
the past, all visual trash of the present, and all diffuse and imagined dreams 
of the future: pressing this ‚learnt‘ imagery into algorithms, speeding it 
through neural networks, and consuming time and energy on countless servers 
located all around the globe - with the profane goal (amongst others) to quench 
my (insatiable) thirst for new images, for new emotions, and for new swells of 
endorphins, as I click at my very own, (seemingly private) ‚individual’ output 
on my personal, hand-held digital display. 


The history of art will repeat itself. AI-generated images assume a powerful, 
yet ambivalent, ‚mediated‘ visual presence. On the one hand, they entangle our 
emotions, projecting déjà-vus of scenes and motifs we have experienced before, 
simulate a liveliness and warmth, stimulate a form of recognition and take on a 
‚photographic’, assuringly documentary stance. On the other hand, we detect 
traces of manipulation, of deceit: a distorted hand, an inconsistency in 
perspective, a misfit proportion, a blur where it should not be. We come to 
understand that the camera-less, virtual compositions have no physical and no 
time-based existence, no depth beyond the smooth surface of our digital 
display, no tangible quality or assessable value. They are not ours. Are not 
‚original‘ in the best sense of the word, but mere variations - out of 
countless others, generated by each new user with each new click - of what has 
existed before. Virtual ‚Doppelgänger’ images generated impromptu and without 
effort, shared and replicated, to be - once again - ‚learnt‘ on by machines, ad 
infinitum, to reiterate and to re-write the history of art.


Timo Kahlen
Berlin
January 1, 2024


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[spectre] Timo Kahlen: BEWARE ! Opening at RUINE DER KÜNSTE BERLIN (Ruin of the Arts Berlin), Sunday 19 May 2024

[Timo Kahlen via SPECTRE]

Dear friends, artists & inquisitive minds!


A cordial invitation to the opening
of the sound art / AI exhibition "Timo Kahlen: BEWARE !"
at the Ruine der Künste Berlin
Hittorfstr. 5, 14195 Berlin (U3 Free University / Thielplatz)
on Sunday, 19 May 2024 from 3 - 6 pm


B E W A R E ! Caution ! Things are not always as they seem. The future is not 
as certain as we hope. Art is less predictable than expected. The ruin more 
tangible than expected.

Timo Kahlen presents three new sound works - between material massiveness and 
fleeting idea. Let us surprise you. 

Exhibition from 19 May to 16 June. Open every Sunday from 3 - 6 pm (and by 
appointment). Admission is free.


image: Timo Kahlen. Sketch for "BEWARE", 2010-2024 © Timo Kahlen VG Bild-Kunst. 
Further works in the exhibition: "Sound without Sound", AI-generated sound 
events (Timo Kahlen in dialogue with Chat GPT, January 2024) and "Flicker", 
2024, sound composition for the ceiling of the Ruine der Künste Berlin.


I am on site. Work in progress.
With best regards
Timo Kahlen


Sound sculptor / media artist.
Appointments at m...@timo-kahlen.de 
Website: www.timo-kahlen.de 
Interview (German): "Timo Kahlens Konzeption haptischer Klänge: 
Wahrnehmungsfallen" auf Deutschlandfunk Kultur
https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/timo-kahlens-haptische-klangskulpturen-flauschige-objekte-100.html
 

Interactive net and sound art: "Re-Play: 21 'vanished‘ works of net art by Timo 
Kahlen"
www.staubrauschen.de/re-play/  for MacOS 
X and Windows



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[spectre] Timo Kahlen & AI. "Insights" (2024), "inside ai" (2024), and the temptations of Artificial Intelligence

[Timo Kahlen via SPECTRE]

Dear curious-minded!
Dear colleages and friends!


Timo Kahlen & AI
"Insights" (2024)
from: "Pandora's Box"
AI-generated images
Visual 'aicons' prompted (in Dall.e) to /imagine the de-constructed,
hypothetical physical shell, and the inner guts and workings of AI.


As a media artist - born with natural stupidity, and from an older generation, 
I suppose - I find it quite difficult to 'visualize' my newest conceptual 
opponent, Artificial Intelligence. 

AI, being neither a physical entity nor a simple array of algorithmical 
functions, is obscure to me: not unlike Pandora's box, a lidded container with 
its contents (and temptations) hidden from my view. Out of curiosity, I have 
ventured to open the lid —  just a tiny bit, you know, but most probably: 
already a bit too far.

Thus, in my recent work "Insights" (2024), part of the "Pandora's Box" series, 
I prompted the AI to allow me a glimpse into her inner, raw complexity. 
Resulting in a series of images of a pulsating and overloaded, deconstructed 
and synthesized physical body, a 'surrogate object': an algorithmic 
'reification' of a dispersed new medium unfolding a heavy computational action 
that, of course, exists neither physically 'here' nor 'now'. An ambivalent new 
idea, a dislocated 'object of desire‘, a new obiquitous medium that is about to 
lure and tempt me as an artist — and to unfold its destructive, biased, numbing 
and 'aiconic' aesthetic potential, once released. Beware!

X

Timo Kahlen & AI: "Insights" (2024) from: "Pandora's Box“. Series of 
AI-generated images.
© Timo Kahlen / VG Bild-Kunst 2024 




2.

Timo Kahlen & AI
"inside ai" (2024)
A conversation with ChatGPT. © Timo Kahlen / VG Bild-Kunst 2024


At the beginning of January, 2024 I posed a set of liminal & urgent questions 
at the AI, that provoked interesting insights into the paradox mind of the new 
'medium': its logic and reasoning, and - if you will - emotions. 


…..
If its existence is neither here nor now, then what is the sphere of the 
AI-generated image? Write a precise and objective in-depth academic analysis, 
in a flow text of 1000 words. Use transitions instead of subtitles. Challenge 
me with your own aesthetic and technological concepts.

In contemplating the existence of AI-generated images, one is inevitably drawn 
into the intricate interplay between the virtual and the tangible, the temporal 
and the timeless. The sphere of AI- generated images, residing in the digital 
realm, transcends traditional notions of spatial and temporal constraints, 
prompting an exploration of its profound implications on aesthetics, 
technology, and the very nature of creative expression.

At the heart of the matter lies the digitized essence of AI-generated images. 
Unlike traditional art forms constrained by physical canvases or sculptures, 
these images exist as configurations of data, algorithmically crafted and 
rendered within the confines of a digital domain. This departure from the 
material constraints of traditional art introduces a novel paradigm where the 
existence of an image is neither bound by physical dimensions nor confined to a 
specific moment in time.

The digital nature of AI-generated images positions them in a realm where 
spatial limitations dissolve. In this expansive sphere, the concept of "here" 
becomes decentralized, and the image is ubiquitously accessible across a myriad 
of devices and platforms. Whether viewed on a computer screen, a smartphone, or 
a virtual reality headset, the same AI-generated image traverses diverse 
spatial contexts, defying the traditional boundaries associated with physical 
artworks.

Moreover, the temporality of AI-generated images adds another layer to their 
enigmatic existence. The algorithms responsible for their creation operate in a 
perpetual state of readiness, capable of generating images ad infinitum. This 
constant potential for creation challenges the conventional understanding of 
"now." The temporal sphere of AI-generated images is not confined to a singular 
moment of creation; instead, it extends into an ever-present state of 
generative potentiality, waiting to materialize at the behest of algorithms.

The aesthetic implications of this unique temporal and spatial positioning are 
profound. AI-generated images encompass a breadth of styles, genres, and 
influences, transcending the temporal constraints that often define artistic 
movements. They exist as a confluence of past, present, and future aesthetics, 
a manifestation of the collective knowledge embedded in the algorithms. This 
amalgamation challenges conventional notions of artistic evolution and prompts 
a reevaluation of the temporal continuum within the realm of visual expression.

The interplay between the digital and the physical, facilitated by AI-generated 
images, introduces a novel concept of aesthetic embodiment. While the images 
themselves lack a physical form, their impact is palpable in the tangible 
spaces they inhabit. 

[spectre] if a digital display is your interface to the world...plɹoʍ ǝɥʇ oʇ ǝɔɐɟɹǝʇuᴉ ɹnoʎ sᴉ ʎɐldsᴉp lɐʇᴉƃᴉp ɐ ɟᴉ

[Timo Kahlen via SPECTRE]

¿slɐǝɔuoɔ ʇᴉ ʇɐɥʍ ɟo ǝɹnʇɐu ǝɥʇ ʇnoqɐ pǝɹǝpuoʍ ɹǝʌǝ noʎ ǝʌɐɥ 'plɹoʍ ǝɥʇ oʇ 
ǝɔɐɟɹǝʇuᴉ ɹnoʎ sᴉ ʎɐldsᴉp lɐʇᴉƃᴉp ɐ ɟᴉ



Timo Kahlen
sound sculptor / media artist

m...@timo-kahlen.de
www.timo-kahlen.de

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[spectre] Einladung zur Finissage: Timo Kahlen. BEWARE! am Sonntag, 16. Juni in der Ruine der Künste Berlin

[Timo Kahlen via SPECTRE]

Einladung zur Finissage
der Klangkunst / KI - Ausstellung „Timo Kahlen: BEWARE !"
in der Ruine der Künste Berlin
Hittorfstr. 5, 14195 Berlin (U3 Freie Universität / Thielplatz)
am Sonntag, dem 16. Juni 2024 von 15 - 18 Uhr


VORSICHT ! Die zentrale Arbeit der Ausstellung, „BEWARE“, ein roher Metallkubus 
gefüllt mit dem Klang böse knurrender, defensiv lauernder Hunde, ist als 
zeitgemäßes Sinnbild potentiell ausbrechender gesellschaftlicher Aggression, 
Rohheit und Bedrohung - gerade auch nach der Europawahl - leider so aktuell wie 
nie. 

Auch die Künstliche Intelligenz, in der Ausstellung in den Arbeiten „Sound 
without Sound“, „Pandora’s Box“ und „x + 1“ kritisch genutzt und hinterfragt, 
birgt neben ihren verführerischen Möglichkeiten auch zunehmend zerstörerisches 
Potential.

Die Dinge sind nicht immer so, wie sie erscheinen. Die Zukunft nicht so sicher, 
wie man erhofft. Die Kunst weniger berechenbar, als erwartet. Die Ruine 
erfahrbarer, als gedacht.

Sie sind eingeladen zur Finissage am Sonntag, dem 16. Juni 2024 von 15-18 Uhr, 
um diese ungewöhnliche Ausstellung ein letztes Mal, in persona, in der Ruine 
der Künste Berlin mit allen Sinnen selbst zu erleben. Der Eintritt ist frei.



Timo Kahlen. Ideenskizze zu „BEWARE", 2010-2024. © Timo Kahlen VG Bild-Kunst. 
Weitere Arbeiten der Ausstellung: „Sound without Sound“, KI-generierte 
Klangereigisse (Timo Kahlen im Dialog mit Chat GPT, Januar 2024) und 
„Flackern“, 2024, Klangkomposition für die Raumdecke der Ruine der Künste 
Berlin.




Mit besten Grüßen
Timo Kahlen


Vereinbarung unter m...@timo-kahlen.de 
Website: www.timo-kahlen.de 

Interview: "Timo Kahlens Konzeption haptischer Klänge: Wahrnehmungsfallen" auf 
Deutschlandfunk Kultur
https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/timo-kahlens-haptische-klangskulpturen-flauschige-objekte-100.html
 


Interaktive Netz- und Klangkunst: "Re-Play: 21 'verschwundene' 
Netzkunst-Arbeiten von Timo Kahlen"
www.staubrauschen.de/re-play/  für MacOS 
X und Windows

Möchten Sie den Newsletter nicht mehr erhalten, senden Sie bitte eine Mail an 
m...@timo-kahlen.de  mit dem Betreff ‚unsubscribe‘.
If you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to 
m...@timo-kahlen.de  with ‚unsubscribe‘ in the 
header.

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