ANONYMOUS CREATIVITY - ART WITHOUT ARTISTS
In the First Surrealist Manifesto, André Breton declared: “We are modest recording instruments (…). We do not have any talent.” This proposition is echoed in contemporary generative technologies such as GPT. The question lingers: who is the invisible creator of these creations? The answer is as simple as it is complex: no one.
The new generative tools are undeniably creative, or at least productive, but at the same time, there is no one behind them. This poses a challenging dilemma for aesthetics. Just like in Surrealism, we find ourselves faced with a hypothetical ‘collective unconscious’, inviting us to reconsider the traditional role of the artist.
In this 9th edition of our annual research festival, ARTICULATE, we look back on 100 years of Surrealism and forward to a future shaped by artificial intelligence, exploring the fascinating possibilities of anonymous creativity and the concept of art without artists.
PROGRAMME at the ACADEMY → Download the brochure
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OPENING ARTICULATE |
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| Thu 17 Oct | |
| 18:00 - 18:30 |
Performance ‘AI Musicking’ |
| 18:30 - 23:00 | Opening exhibitions with food and drinks |
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EXHIBITIONS |
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| Reproducibility | |
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18 – 27 Oct |
This exhibition examines the current profound transition from digital tools to artificial intelligence models in technologically mediated artistic production. |
| Moving the Photogram | |
| 18 – 27 Oct Mon – Sun 12:00 – 18:00 |
Based on the work of nine young artists linked with the Thinking Tools research group, the exhibition presents a diversity of contemporary practices that uses one of the oldest photographic techniques: the photogram. With works by Sine Van Menxel, Sophie Thun, Jeff Weber, Marta Djourina, Dries Segers, Francesco Del Conte, Marianne Vierø, Sascha Herrmann and Berit Schneidereit; curated by Steven Humblet |
| Subversive Pages: 100 Surrealist Publications | |
| 18 – 27 Oct Mon – Sun 12:00 – 18:00 |
This exhibition presents a selection of Surrealist printed matter from 1924 onward. The publication strategies of the Surrealists reveal a wolf in sheep’s clothing: books and magazines are not passive carriers of meaning but active objects. |
| The Grid | |
| 18 – 27 Oct Mon – Sun 12:00 – 18:00 |
Through a mapping projection on the ceiling of the Venushal, with its grid as the basic canvas and catalyst, an interactive collective installation emerges. This dynamic framework functions as an engaging medium for real-time audience participation. The installation embodies the discourse on the role of the creator in the post-digital era. |
| Yes Second Chance | |
| 18 – 27 Oct Mon – Sun 12:00 – 18:00 |
Various outcomes of chance-oriented actions by María Alborés Lojo, Marianne Bierbooms, Yuki Okumura, Vanessa Stefanetti, Elisa Verkoelen, Mia Wang, Keigo Wezel, Jonna Witte, Helena Zarys, Hoyt Zhang; curated by Yuki Okumura. |
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PUBLIC PROGRAMME |
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| Symposium ‘Techno/Seen: on the technological apparatus and its images’ | |
| Thu 17 Oct 10:00 - 17:00 |
From the moment the first technological apparatus was introduced, a revolutionary new kind of image emerged. From photography to recent AI-applications, this symposium aims to give a broad overview of how these technological images are currently being used in the visual arts. |
| Artist talk 'An exploration of generative photographic strategies' by Dries Segers | |
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Tue 22 Oct |
- 19:00: guided tour in the exhibition 'Moving the Photogram' by curator Steven Humblet |
| Lecture ‘Object, Dream, Thought: Marcel Broodthaers, Pense-Bête and Surrealism’ | |
| Wed 23 Oct 19:00 - 20:30 |
In this lecture in collaboration with S.M.A.K., John C. Welchman explores the relationship between Marcel Broodthaers' early work, ‘Pense-Bête’, and the Surrealist practice of the Poème Objet. He examines Broodthaers' broader connections to Surrealism and how his work uniquely visualizes thought. |
| Panel discussion ‘Subversive Surrealism?’ | |
| Wed 23 Oct 20:30 - 21:30 |
Join us for a panel discussion on the contemporary relevance of Surrealism, 100 years after the First Surrealist Manifesto, as artists and theorists explore and discuss the topicality of Surrealist concepts and methods. Do they still make sense, and if so, how to deal with them? |
| Panel discussion ‘Art without Artists - Anonymous Creativity’ | |
| Thu 24 Oct 19:00 - 21:00 |
In this debate, young artists will explore the creator's role, drawing inspiration from Breton's Surrealist Manifesto and the concept of "art without artists," while also examining AI's impact on authorship and the possibilities and challenges of anonymous creativity. The new generative tools are undeniably creative, or at least productive, yet they lack a human presence behind them, posing a challenging dilemma for aesthetics. |
| Reading Table | |
| 17-27 Oct Mon-Fri 09:00-12:00 13:00-17:00 |
The Academy’s Library features a Reading Table with a selection of inspiring and thought-provoking books centered on this year’s theme of anonymous creativity. |
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STUDENT PROGRAMME |
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| Research classes | |
| 21 – 25 Oct Mon – Fri 10:00 – 18:00 |
The five-day experimental, in-depth, and interdisciplinary research classes for master students of the Academy are this year led by artist-researchers Mirja Bush, Kristí Fekete, Eva-Fiore Kovacovsky, Spiros Hadjidjanos, Francesco Del Conte, Ilaria Lupo, Charlotte Koopman and Phil Baber. |
| Tablecloth | |
| 21 – 25 Oct Mon – Fri 10:00 – 18:00 |
Collective reflection on art education by students and researchers of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and PXL-MAD School of Arts Hasselt. |
| Workshop 'Some More Chances: Re-Playing Surrealist Games and Beyond’ | |
| Thu 24 Oct 14:00 – 17:00 |
Workshop by Inge Henneman and Yuki Okumura, open for anybody interested. Register now! |
| Presentations 'Research Classes' | |
| Fri 25 Oct 14:00 - 16:00 |
During an informal get-together, the master students from each research class have the opportunity to present their experiences and reflections, and to make their process visible. |
in collaboration with ARIA | Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts