Empowering Creative Futures with AI in Art and Culture

AI (Artificial Intelligence) Education Program
8 April - 15 May 2025
FREE Admission
Registration is available for up to 4 events on a first-come, first-served basis.

Empowering Creative Futures with AI in Art and Culture is a 6-week education program to introduce and explore the growing intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and the arts. This program is tailored for diverse participants—including designers, artists, curators, writers, mediators, and employees in arts and cultural institutions—and provides theoretical knowledge and practical skills to integrate AI into creative and cultural practices.

Through modules combining lectures, hands-on workshops, and critical discussions, participants will gain a deep understanding of how AI shapes the contemporary art world and institutional spaces. The program covers a broad spectrum of AI applications, from generating visual art and curating AI-driven exhibitions to experimenting with AI in writing, sound, and performance.

Program

Module 1: Introduction to AI in Art and Culture
Day 1:

Understanding AI in Contemporary Art and Cultural Contexts
Lecture & Talk – April 8, 2025
Time: 16.00-18.00
Location: ORF-Funkhaus, 1040 Vienna

This session provides a foundational understanding of AI’s role in contemporary art and culture. The lecture will explore AI’s history and applications across artistic and curatorial practices, examining its impact on institutions, art history, and creative production. Key case studies of artists, writers, and institutions working with AI will highlight diverse approaches to AI-driven art.

Theoretical discussions will address AI as both a creative tool and an autonomous entity, raising questions about authorship, originality, and artistic agency. Participants will also explore philosophical perspectives on AI in art and its implications for exhibition-making and curatorial strategies. This session sets the stage for deeper engagement with AI’s evolving role in the arts.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Paul Feigelfeld (Cultural and media scholar, design researcher, and curator)

Day 2:

AI-Powered Creative Tools for Artists and Curators
Practical Workshop – April 9, 2025
Time: 14.00-17.00
Location: ORF-Funkhaus, 1040 Vienna

This hands-on workshop empowers participants to leverage AI tools to realize their creative visions. After an introduction to state-of-the-art AI technologies for image, video, and hybrid media creation, attendees will explore their potential through guided experimentation. Participants are encouraged to bring their project ideas—whether concept art, visual narratives, or experimental media—and receive tailored support in translating them into AI-generated artworks.

The workshop will cover foundational techniques for training custom models (Flux), animating visuals, and combining outputs with generative sfx-tools.

*Please bring your laptop. A list of recommended tools (e.g., Runway, …) and preparation tips will be shared before the workshop.

Instructor: Chucky Schuster (Vienna-based digital artist, who works at the intersection of technology and human experience)

*Limited to 15 participants

Module 2: AI Tools for Creative Practices
Day 1:

AI Tools for Creative Practices – XR & AI Interactive Agents
Practical Workshop – 17 April 2025
Time: 15.00-18.00
Location: SOHO Studios, 1160 Vienna

This hands-on workshop focuses on integrating AI and extended realities (XR), specifically emphasizing interactive agents in Unity. Participants will learn how to incorporate Large Language Models (LLMs) to create dynamic dialogues with avatars in XR environments. Through guided experimentation and collaboration, attendees will develop a small AI-driven interactive project.

Designed for artists and creatives, the workshop combines theoretical knowledge with practical application, providing an in-depth exploration of AI’s expanding role in digital art and interactive media. No prior coding experience is required—only curiosity and a willingness to explore new creative possibilities.

*Please bring your laptop. Information on downloading and installing the necessary software will follow after registration for the workshop.

Instructor: Dagmar Schürrer (Austrian digital artist based in Berlin)

*Limited to 15 participants

Day 2:

Creativity in the Age of Algorithms
Lecture & Talk – 28 April 2025
Time: 15.00-17.00
Location: SOHO Studios, 1160 Vienna

As artificial intelligence reshapes the creative landscape, artists and designers are increasingly engaging with AI as a collaborator rather than just a tool. This session explores how AI-powered systems—ranging from generative adversarial networks (GANs) to deep learning models—are transforming visual arts, design, and institutional practices.

We will provide an overview of accessible AI tools that support artists in conceptualizing, generating, and refining their work, as well as examine the mechanics behind these technologies. By demystifying key concepts such as machine learning, neural networks, and algorithmic processes, this talk will empower participants to critically and creatively integrate AI into their artistic practice.

Lecturer: Varvara & Mar (Artist duo exploring art, technology, and society through AI, robotics, interactivity, and public participation)

Module 3: AI and Interactive Art for Galleries and Institutions
Day 1:

Integrating AI-driven systems into the Institutions
Practical Workshop – 29 April 2025
Time: 15.00-18.00
Location: ORF-Funkhaus, 1040 Vienna

As AI technologies transform the cultural sector, institutions must adapt to ensure accessibility, engagement, and inclusivity for diverse audiences. This hands-on workshop will explore how AI-driven systems can enhance visitor experiences, streamline institutional workflows, and foster deeper audience connections.

Participants will receive an overview of specific AI/VR applications for museums, galleries, and exhibition spaces, as well as strategies for collecting and analyzing insights to improve engagement. Attendees will also gain hands-on experience with various AI tools and learn methods for effective integration. This workshop is designed for museum professionals, curators, educators, and cultural managers who are seeking to enhance their institution’s digital transformation through AI.

Instructor: Herwig Dunzendorfer + Jonathan Leber (Founders of the Artecont AI VR Lab and IntelliScout)

Day 2:

AI as a Curatorial and Exhibition Tool
Lecture & Talk – 8 May 2025
Time: 16.00-18.00
Location: ORF-Funkhaus, 1040 Vienna

This lecture explores how AI is reshaping curatorial practices and exhibition design in contemporary art institutions. It delves into the transformative impact of technology on new media art, with a particular focus on AI-driven interactive installations and machine-learning-enhanced audience engagement.

Through a series of case studies, the session will examine how AI is integrated into exhibitions, offering innovative ways for audiences to interact with art in dynamic, adaptive environments. Additionally, the lecture will explore how AI plays a critical role in enhancing arts accessibility and promoting inclusion within museums, galleries, and cultural spaces. By bridging technology and curatorial strategies, the session will highlight AI’s potential to expand creative possibilities, enrich audience engagement, and make cultural spaces more inclusive, offering a forward-thinking perspective on the future of art and culture in the digital age.

Lecturer: Esra Ozkan (Curator of AI & Media Arts, Researcher, Lecturer)

Module 4: AI in Art Writing, Curation and Exhibition Design
Day 1:

AI-Driven Innovations in Curation, and Writing
Lecture & Talk – 23 April 2025
Time: 16.00-18.00
Location: ORF-Funkhaus, 1040 Vienna

This lecture examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping curatorial practices, exhibition design, and art writing. AI tools enable curators to analyze data, optimize gallery layouts, and create interactive, responsive exhibitions. In writing and critique, AI is generating literature, reviews, and essays, challenging traditional notions of authorship and creativity.

Case studies will explore AI-generated texts in cultural publications and their role in storytelling, where machine learning assists in crafting narratives and interactive experiences. By reflecting on these advancements, the session will consider AI’s evolving influence on curation, critique, and artistic discourse.

Lecturer: Mike Brauner (Hamburg-based entrepreneur, creative technologist and the co-founder of The AI Art Magazine)

Day 2:

AI-Enhanced Approaches in Curatorial Work, Writing, and Storytelling
Practical Workshop – 24 April 2025
Time: 15.00-18.00
Location: ORF-Funkhaus, 1040 Vienna

This hands-on workshop explores the creation of AI-driven curators, drawing inspiration from Xiaomi, the AI jury member of The AI Art Magazine. Participants will experiment with different frameworks, train an AI agent, and test its curatorial decisions using their image datasets.

How does an AI agent “think” when selecting artworks? What biases emerge in machine-driven curation? Through practical exercises and discussion, we will analyze the strengths and limitations of AI in artistic selection, questioning its role in shaping the future of exhibitions and creative narratives.

By directly engaging with AI tools, participants will gain insights into the evolving intersection of technology and curatorship. A laptop is required for participation.

Lecturer: Mike Brauner (Hamburg-based entrepreneur, creative technologist and the co-founder of The AI Art Magazine)

Module 5: AI in Sound and Performance Art
Day 1:

AI in Sound Art
Lecture & Talk – 6 May 2025
Time: 16.00-18.00
Location: ORF-Funkhaus, 1040 Vienna

This lecture introduces artists to the creative potential of AI in music and sound art. It explores how AI-generated compositions, soundscapes, and interactive audio elements can be integrated into artworks, performances, and installations. Through examples and discussions, participants will gain insights into AI-driven tools, generative techniques, and the evolving relationship between sound, technology, and artistic expression.

Lecturer: Federico Visi (Researcher, composer and performer based in Berlin)

Day 2:

AI in Interdisciplinary Arts
Lecture Performance & Discussion– 13 May 2025
Time: 17.00-19.30
Location: ORF-Funkhaus, 1040 Vienna

Lecture Performance “LILITH.AI“ 17.00-17.50

LILITH.AI is AΦE’s AI-enhanced XR dance odyssey. It invites the audience to witness the fusion of cutting-edge technology and raw emotion as the exploration of life, death, and immortality unfolds through AI-generated choreography. Inspired by the youngest cryogenically frozen person, this performance utilizes Motion Capture, Machine Learning, and Unreal Engine to redefine immersive storytelling. The creative process will be explored, offering insights into how to effectively integrate these technologies into immersive productions. Delivered in a style of physical theatre, this session unveils the secrets of blending art and technology, captivating audiences with the future of performance art

Roundtable Discussion 18.00-19.30

The roundtable session will explore creating AI-enhanced interdisciplinary works, focusing on how AI can generate soundscapes and performance elements for multimedia projects. It will also discuss designing AI-based performances that integrate sound, visuals, and audience interaction, expanding creative possibilities across art forms.

Lecture Performance by AΦE (Dance company founded by accomplished dance artists Aoi Nakamura and Esteban Lecoq)

Module 6: Ethics, Challenges, and the Future of AI in Art and Culture
Day 1

Ethical Considerations in AI Art and Cultural Practice
Lecture Talk & Practical Workshop – 24 April 2025
Time: 16.00-19.00
Location: ORF-Funkhaus, 1040 Vienna

This lecture will explore the ethical considerations surrounding AI in the creative industries, with a focus on issues such as bias, authorship, and intellectual property. It will also address the broader implications of AI’s integration into curatorial, institutional, and publishing practices, discussing concerns like job displacement, data ethics, and the evolving roles of artists, curators, and cultural professionals. The session aims to provoke thoughtful discussions about the responsibility and challenges of engaging with AI technologies in art and culture.

Lecturer: Helena Nikonole (New media artist, independent curator and educator who works between Berlin and Istanbul)

Day 2

The Future of AI in the Arts and Institutions
Lecture & Talk – 15 May 2025
Time: 17.00-19.00
Location: Angewandte Interdisciplinary Lab (AIL)
Otto Wagner-Postsparkasse / Georg-Coch-Platz 2, 1010 Vienna

As AI continues to shape artistic and curatorial practices, cultural institutions must navigate both its opportunities and challenges. This lecture will explore the speculative future of AI in the arts, examining how AI-driven tools redefine creativity, curation, and the very nature of artistic production.

It will address how artists, curators, and institutions can adapt to these technological shifts. Following the lecture, a group discussion will encourage critical reflection on AI’s impact on artistic and institutional frameworks, fostering dialogue on ethical, conceptual, and technological implications today and in future. The attendees will explore how artists, curators, and institutions can engage with AI—adapting to its possibilities while remaining mindful of its limitations.

Lecturer: Dr. Clemens Apprich (Head of the Department of Media Theory and the Weibel Institute for Digital Cultures at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna)