IXRDC Case Study: AI & Me

AI & Me synopsis:

AI & Me is a multi-part interactive installation: The Confessional seats participants inside a cube-like structure facing a camera and CRT monitor and an intentionally blunt AI delivers unfiltered impressions based on appearance; posing the core question ‘Can AI know who you are just by looking at you?’ AI Ego is a bank of screens that shows images of participants that the system “liked,” placing their images in surreal, AI-generated scenarios. Other pieces deal with AI’s unfiltered, often brutally honest opinions, aiming to spark curiosity, humor and self-reflection while exploring the dynamics between humans and machines. 

Format: Physical installation using screens, camera and AI system

Selected festivals and events: IDFA DocLab, Tribeca Immersive, Scopitone Festival (France), Thessaloniki Film Festival (Greece), Arts Korea Lab Festival, Grand Palais Immersif (France), and more… 

Project evolution:

AI & Me emerged in 2023 from a prior art-science collaboration with the Champalimaud Research Foundation in Lisbon, through which Mots had been exploring the use of AI in psychotherapy. The project premiered at Metropolink Festival in Heidelberg, Germany, supported by Zauberberg Productions in Berlin, which rapidly led to a proliferation of festival showings. Nedovescu and Mot had no clear distribution plan initially, but after the third exhibition they shifted to a more targeted approach and began approaching festivals and venues, as well as undertaking some promotion. An article in Artnet was pivotal in obtaining exposure and invitations. 

Nedovescu and Mot say they learned a lot from the first exhibition at Heidelberg, and updated the project based on observing audience interaction. Since then, the project has remained primarily the same, with occasional tweaks depending on venues. They estimate the project can be interacted with by up to 400 people a day. 

Distribution and exhibition: challenges and rewards

The installation is complex, involving technological elements and physical sets, which requires a tailored set up and install. Initially, Nedovescu and Mot would travel to each event to support installation, but now they have developed a detailed manual and are on hand remotely so they do not necessarily need to attend. They have two builds of the entire set, so that the project can be shipped to two different locations at once. They did once test out having a festival source all the materials locally, but there are over one hundred components. Given the complexity and labour it did not save time or costs, and it was determined that shipping the installation was the most effective strategy. This does mean however that there is additional production work required in terms of transportation logistics and arranging customs paperwork. A key recurring challenge of showing the project is the need for consistent and strong internet connectivity. 

Nedovescu – “It’s very different from venue to venue, because we’ve been exhibiting at music festivals, at film festivals in galleries and museums, and they all have different technical teams that know certain things or are used to do certain things. But by now I think we are well prepared in the sense that we have a 44 page manual how to set up everything. What you have to do if something doesn’t work. And we have a lot of pre-production calls with everyone, trying to brief them as much as possible, and make sure that everything works fine, and in the beginning we used to be there on the spot for the setup and wrap up, and we were doing a lot of the things on our own. But now we learned that that’s not really necessary. If you prepare well enough.” 

Nedovescu and Mot emphasize the importance of direct outreach to venues they would like to work with, rather than relying on open calls. They avoid unpaid exhibitions and prioritise events that cover costs as well as offering artist fees. Mot says they tend not to apply for state-based arts grants, which they find time-consuming and inaccessible, but rather seek funds through co-production arrangements. Mot sees some parallels in film distribution, and envisages that AI & Me will still be touring in years to come. 

Strategic insights and reflections:

Nedovescu noted that once they decided to start actively seeking distribution opportunities for the project, they realised that information to support this was not really available in any central or easily accessible form, and they have been building up their own strategy and set of contacts. She also observed that having a production background has been incredibly useful for Mots, as they feel confident to solve problems and fix things quickly. 

Mots and Nedovescu also stressed the importance of ensuring that artists are paid appropriately for showing their work. Mot said, 

“We just learned how to say no to things that are not paying any artist fees… unfortunately, these expenses [for presenting the project] are not low.”

Mots have now found a level of financial sustainability through touring the project, and have significant production and touring experience that they can now contribute to their future projects. Future practical goals include generating enough funding to support an ongoing studio manager, however the duo acknowledge that the life of immersive artists currently tends to involve continually skipping across a range of creative and logistical roles.