“Butterfly’s Dreams: The New Aesthetic of AI in Artistic Practice” made a successful premiere at the 18th-century baroque gallery, Atelierhaus Salzamt, during the Ars Electronica Festival 2023 in Linz, Austria. This event marked Singapore’s first debut at the prestigious Ars Electronica Festival, featuring 11 collaborative multimedia projects by 16 students and alumni from Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media, and the 2 Master students from Global Innovation Design Program at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. A total of 56 international universities working in the academic fields of media art, design and technology participated in the Ars Electronica Festival 2023. Through this collective endeavor, the AE Campus Exhibition celebrates the power of creativity, collaboration and exploration in shaping our shared future.

The ADM exhibition, subtitled The New Aesthetic of AI in Artistic Practice, explored how AI can foster creativity and change the way we create and experience art. It seamlessly aligning with the festival’s 2023 theme, “Who Owns the Truth?”

Special Thanks
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our supporters and partners for making this project possible: Nanyang Technological University Singapore, School of Art, Design and Media for travel support and equipment loans; Ms. Goh Swee Chen, Chairman, National Arts Council, and Board Chair of the NTU Board of Trustees, for her in-kind donation; NTU’s former Institute of Science and Technology for Humanity (NISTH) for research funding under the awarded project “AI in Arts Studio: Creating Image-Based Artworks Using Machine Learning and Science Data” (PI A/P Ina Conradi); NTU University Advancement Office; NTU Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus Programme (URECA); the IMDA iPREP Programme; NTU Institute for Pedagogical Innovation, Research and Excellence (InsPIRE); AVS Technologies Pte Ltd.; Giant Monster Pte Ltd. for their support in exhibit collaterals and fine art prints; and Ars Electronica and Atelierhaus Salzamt Linz for granting the amazing space to exhibit this large-scale installation.

Featured Artists: Roger Ng Wei Lun, Muhammad Raihan Bin Ismail, LuQi Li, Ziyi Zhang, Nur Haidah Arip, Xue Fuguo, Shiao-ya (Maggie) Huang, Benjamin Lim, Jonathan Tan, Manasi Nair, Josiah Chua, Ong Kian Peng, Melodie Edith James, Alicia Ng, JJ Agcaoili, Xin Wen.
Curated by: Ina Conradi and Ong Kian Peng.

About Ars Electronica Festival And Campus Exhibition
The Ars Electronica Festival – an international Festival for Art, Technology and Society – was initiated in 1979 and focuses on electronic art, media theory, and media creative technologies. It is the oldest and most famous festival in the world for electronic media art works.
Since 2002, in collaboration with the University of Arts Linz, Ars Electronica Campus exhibiton platform has been driving creativity and shaping the future of media art.
Ars Electronica returned to POSTCITY. 88,000 visitors, 1,542 artists, scientists, developers, designers and activists from 88 countries, 338 partners and sponsors, 650 exhibits and 575 events over 5 days at 14 locations in Linz helped to make this festival to a huge success. The theme of this festival, Who Owns the Truth? raised a multitude of meaningful questions, creating a collective as well as diverse perspectives of the discussions related to the core topics of our time: truth and ownership, interpretive authority, and sovereignty.

“Butterfly’s Dreams: The New Aesthetic of AI in Artistic Practice.” Ars Electronica Festival 2023 – Who owns the truth?, September 18, 2023. https://ars.electronica.art/who-owns-the-truth/en/butterflys-dreams/.
“Ars Electronica Campus Exhibition.” Ars Electronica Festival 2023 – Who owns the truth?, September 21, 2023. https://ars.electronica.art/who-owns-the-truth/en/campus/.

Exhibition Theme

In his legendary Taoist anecdote on Butterfly Dreams, Zhuang-zi famously pondered whether he was a man dreaming he was a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming he was a man. At first impression, this might seem to be a question of what is real. However, this implies a favoring of one state over another. But both are dreams equally real (and unreal), oscillating between the ego and unconscious self. Such exchanges allow one to explore their inner self; in other words, the butterfly and man are both selves, from dreaming and awakening to wondering, transforming and melting between states.

Butterfly’s Dreams: The New Aesthetic of AI in Artistic Practice alludes to the latent qualities of Machine Learning. It demonstrates how AI can be used to enhance creativity and innovation in artistic practice and the potential for AI to revolutionize how we create and experience art. The works featured explore possible interchanges between dreams and provoke dialogues surrounding the role of machines in sense-making.

The Exhibition comprises 11 works by 16 artists from the Interdisciplinary Media Design Program Pathway in Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media and exchange students from the Global Innovation Design Program at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. This is the first time Singapore’s international collaborative multimedia will premiere at the Ars Electronica Festival. 

About the Venue

The Atelierhaus Salzamt is located close by the Art University. Opened in 1706 as the imperial Salzamt, the baroque building was renovated by the City of Linz in 2008 and has since served as a meeting place for young visual artists from all over the world. As part of the Ars Electronica Festival, the exhibition Butterfly’s Dreams. The New Aesthetic of AI in Artistic Practice is presented by Nanyang Technological University (SG). The exhibiton explores how AI can foster creativity and change the way we create and experience art.

More About Ars Electronica Campus Exhibition

Since 2002, Ars Electronica and the University of Arts Linz have joined forces to create an inspiring platform that showcases the talents of artists associated with international higher-education institutions pioneering innovative approaches to teaching media art and media culture. This annual event, known as Ars Electronica Campus, is more than just an exhibition; it embodies the spirit of exploration and discovery, inviting outstanding universities from around the globe to present their projects and reflect on their mission and creative endeavors.

A total of 56 international universities working in the academic fields of media art, design and technology participate in the Ars Electronica Festival 2023. Through this collective endeavor, the Campus Exhibition celebrates the power of creativity, collaboration and exploration in shaping our shared future.

At the heart of the Campus format lies a profound commitment to exploring and visualizing diverse educational approaches in the realms of art and creativity. Through these showcases, we gain invaluable insight into the distinctive identities, histories, and contemporary practices of the invited guest universities. It is a unique opportunity to analyze and comprehend the evolving landscape of media arts and design education, where experimentation, collaboration and boundary-pushing are celebrated.

The Campus Exhibition stands as a testament to the power of interdisciplinary exchange and international cooperation, fostering a vibrant community of artists, educators and enthusiasts who collectively shape the future of media art and culture. As we delve into the works presented by these exceptional institutions, we embark on a journey of discovery, celebration and mutual inspiration.