Mario Klingemann – Interstitial Space

Mario Klingemann is a German artist who explores the inner workings of systems, particularly involving artificial intelligence and data.

In this interactive installation for the Art-AI festival, Klingemann created an open feedback loop between the viewer and a portrait- generating adversarial network (GAN) – a type of AI system where two neural networks are pitted against each other.

Through a camera, the system behind the installation observes its own output – as it is being projected onto the wall of the gallery – and tries to identify facial features in real time.

These features are then reinterpreted by a GAN that has been trained on portraiture from western art, which then becomes part of a new output – projected on the opposite wall of the space.

The noise and misinterpretation introduced by the neural models involved in this process mean that this system will never repeat itself, revealing the nature of the data it has been trained on.

By stepping into the gap between the camera and the projection, the viewer’s portrait becomes part of the cycle and they can attempt to take control over the emerging visuals.

Mario Klingemann is an artist and former Google Arts and Culture resident known for his work involving neural networks, code, and algorithms. He is a pioneer in the use of AI and machine learning in art. His works have been shown at the Ars Electronica Festival, the Mediacity Biennale Seoul, the ZKM Karlsruhe, the Museum of Modern Art New York, , the Photographers’ Gallery London, the Centre Pompidou Paris and the British Library.

This exhibition was part of the award-winning Art AI festival, showcasing artificial intelligence created artworks produced by the world’s leading creators in the form.