House of Mirrors: Artificial Intelligence as Phantasm

Artificial intelligence (AI) is often lauded for its ability to recognise patterns in large volumes of data and categorise information free of human biases. The international exhibition “House of Mirrors: Artificial Intelligence as Phantasm” by Hartware MedienKunstVerein (HMKV) Dortmund aims to scrutinise precisely this assumed objectivity and address the problematic aspects of AI. Examples of built-in bias include racially derogatory annotations of images of human bodies, facial recognition software that functions best with faces of white men, and data gaps that benefit privileged groups.

The international exhibition at the HMKV presents recent works which highlight algorithmic prejudices and reveal how existing inequality is exacerbated through the use of AI. It also includes positions which envision radically different concepts of AI. The exhibition presents around 15 international pieces by such artists as Nora Al-Badri, Rosa Menkman and Hito Steyerl, all of whom work with various media and applications like 3D scans, chat bots and video installations.

The exhibition is supplemented by an extensive educational programme which focuses on the artistic aspects of three thematic areas related to automatised pattern recognition: bias, hype and civil society. Various accompanying events, such as a film programme, workshops, lectures and artist interviews, will explore these topics in greater depth.

Curators: Inke Arns, Francis Hunger, Marie Lechner
Artists: Aram Bartholl, Elisa Giardina Papa, Mimi Onuoha, Adam Harvey and others

Exhibition: HMKV Hartware MedienKunstVerein, Dortmund: 8 Apr. – 31 Jul. 2022