ARS ELECTRONICA ARCHIVE – AI LAB

The European ARTificial Intelligence Lab (AI Lab) is a follow-up project to the European Digital Art and Science Network, a creative collaboration between scientific institutions, Ars Electronica and cultural partners throughout Europe that unites science and digital art. The European ARTificial Intelligence Lab follows on from this and addresses visions, expectations and fears that we associate with artificial intelligence. The consortium consists of 13 cultural institutions from Europe with Ars Electronica as coordinator. This online archive provides an overview of all activities carried out during the project's lifetime from 2018 to 2021. It also provides information about the network itself, the residency artists and juries, and the project partners involved. The AI Lab is co-funded by the EU program "Creative Europe (2014-2020)" and by the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport.

Exhibitions/Journeys 2021

FuneralPlay by Ruini Shi (UK)

AI Lab Journey
comissioned for the Ars Electronica Online Festival 2021.
published and streamed during the Festival, afterwards accessible via the Festival Website

Links

https://ars.electronica.art/newdigitaldeal/en/funeralplay/

Start:

Sep 08, 2021

End:

Sep 12, 2021

Info:

In addition to scientific, technological and economic aspects, the European ARTificial Intelligence Lab focuses strongly on legal, cultural, educational and ethical dimensions of Artificial Intelligence. This allows a holistic model that considers human values and elementary questions of what AI should or should not do, as well as how AI systems are developed, deployed, used and monitored, and by whom. From the perspective of 13 major cultural operators in Europe and led by Ars Electronica, the European ARTificial Intelligence Lab centers visions, expectations and fears that we associate with the conception of a future, all-encompassing artificial intelligence.
While industries are pumping massive amounts of money into cutting-edge technologies to develop intelligent systems, we are connecting artists with research institutions and scientists to fill a gap in dealing with the social components and political questions arising from these enormous technological advances.

Cross reference

Ars Electronica, Ruini Shi (UK)

Description

A new technology start-up company claims to offer a certain kind of ”immortality”: users can choose between erasing the deceased’s electronic footprint or uploading it to virtual heaven, permanently secured and published on an immutable blockchain, allowing the addition of remembrance NFTs to the memorial. This website ”FuneralPlay” speculates on a near future when diverse ideologies and values are accepted within the setting of a funeral: apart from traditional religion, a series of subcultures are emerging as new elements in a funeral scenario. As a result, cat meme lovers, boyband fandoms, fengshui masters, otakus, gangsters, cypherpunks… all can find a private post-mortem comfort zone. This journey records the recent life dynamics of some residents on the platform.
To take part in this funeral-play, please visit: funeralplay.com

Biography

Ruini Shi is an animation director based in London, currently pursuing her PhD on the possibilities presented by the confluence of crypto and animation. Combining film language and technological aesthetics, she creates narratives that interrogate the compatibility between humanity and emerging technologies. Her first film *Strings* won the Award of Distinction at Prix Ars Electronica 2019. She was nominated for the 2019 Rapoport Award for Women in Art and Technology.

Credits

These video commissions are presented in the framework of the European ARTificial Intelligence Lab, which is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport.