The Queer Machine
March - April 2024
This workshop is an attempt at debating about and creating with images generated automatically by the so-called "artificial intelligence". It’s conceived as a poetic and political gesture to embrace as many contradictions as possible in the creation, use, and exploration of potential synthetic methods. Working like a small creative squad we will draw from proposals previously explored by Tanit Plana, such as SEMEN and SECURITAS, as well as Kate Crawford’s and Hito Steyerl’s foundational texts. The aim is to playfully crack the smooth, rigid, and insurmountable surfaces of power and the images that represent it.
We will work hand in hand with AI systems and lead them where they’re not supposed to go, divert them, and make ourselves accomplices in a tentative experiment to aim at all the mechanisms that make AI systems possible and perpetuate outdated social, economic, and geopolitical models.
Work Plan
The workshop consists of 5 sessions of debate, knowledge exchange, and creation.
Session 1: What is the machine? What is queer? (The geopolitics of AI).
Session 2: How is the machine feeded? The architecture of prompts.
Session 3: The art of biased prompting (or how to instruct the machine to output images that conjure up the world we want).
Session 4: Production.
Session 5: Editing the generated content (prompts, images, texts) and preparing the final presentation.
The objective of the workshop is to generate research, experimental imagery, and - why not? - poetry, not necessarily finished projects. The materials and methods developed in the workshop will be presented as Phase 3 of the DONE 7 activities program in April 2024 and in its publication.
Who is this workshop for?
People of any background, education, culture, and gender, possibly with a specific personal or professional interest in the creative critical use of digital image technologies. Students, artists, and all kinds of creators and thinkers are especially welcome to apply.
When will it take place?
On Fridays, March 1, 8, 15, 22, and April 5 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Where will it take place?
In-person at the Foto Colectania Foundation (Passeig Picasso 14, Barcelona)
How many participants will you accept?
The workshop is designed for 10 people.
In what language will it be held?
The workshop will be held in Catalan/Spanish. (If you’re interested but don’t speak either, feel free to apply anyway but please let us know in the application about the language issue).
How much does it cost?
The registration fee is €90. For Friends of Foto Colectania and students from our “Escoles Amigues” program (check the list here) it's €45.
A digital certificate will be sent to all attendees
I want to sign up, what do I have to do?
You can register by emailing us at done@fotocolectania.org.
Make sure to include:
• Your name or nickname.
• A brief text with your motivation to attend the workshop (between 100 and 200 words).
• (Optional) One or more links to your projects or visual work.
• A way to rapidly contact you in case of urgent communications (for example, your phone number).
The registration period is from January 19 to February 15.
When will you confirm my registration?
We will contact accepted participants no later than February 20.
I have an inquiry.How can I ask you?
Sure, you can email your questions or doubts at done@fotocolectania.org.
