PhotoVogue Festival 2023. Amy Woodward
The theme of the eighth edition is “What makes us human? Image in the age of A.I”. Through exhibitions, talks and and A.I. Symposium, the festival will deep dive into the profound impact of artificial intelligence in image making
PhotoVogue Festival 2023:
The PhotoVogue Festival returns for its eighth edition, celebrating the seamless union of ethics and aesthetics. From November 16th to 19th, 2023 at BASE Milano.
The event is free and everyone is welcome to attend.
Since its inception, the PhotoVogue Festival has been dedicated to exploring ethically and aesthetically crucial themes, ranging from the female gaze to inclusivity and masculinity. Building on last year’s exploration of how the ubiquity of images influences our understanding of experiences and reactions to events, the upcoming PhotoVogue Festival in Milan will take a deep dive into the profound impact of artificial intelligence (A.I.) on human existence and the creation of images. Our intention is to address the ethical, aesthetic, and political implications raised by this revolutionary technology.
PROGRAM OF THE TALKS
All the talks are free and open to the public.
November 15th Refik Anadol will be opening the next edition of PhotoVogue Festival at Base Milano, Wednesday November 15th at 6.30 p.m. with a Lectio Magistralis titled “Creating AI Art with a Thinking Brush”.
November 16th From 6:30 p.m to 8:00 p.m. “Eye Mama at the PhotoVogue Festival” moderated by Alessia Glaviano (Head of Global PhotoVogue and Director PhotoVogue Festival) and featuring Karni Arieli (Artist and Founder of Eye Mama) and several contributors of the Eye Mama book in conversation.
November 17th | A.I. SYMPOSIUM: “Charting New Territories: The Ethical Implications of A.I. in Image Creation”
November 18th | A.I. SYMPOSIUM: “Picturing the Future: A.I. and the Evolution of Visual Storytelling”
November 19th | A.I. SYMPOSIUM: “A.I. dreamscapes: Art, Fashion, and the Liberation of Creativity”
EXHIBITIONS
All the exhibitions are free and open to the public.
WHAT IS BEAUTY?
Throughout its past Open Calls, PhotoVogue festival has celebrated the female gaze, searched for the next great fashion image makers, highlighted diversity behind and in front of the camera, explored masculinity, reframed history, and consistently challenged stereotypes, clichés, and homogeneous representations. Continuing its journey dedicated to shaping a more just and inclusive society through visual literacy, PhotoVogue invited artists from around the world to submit work that challenges the traditional notions of beauty.
WHAT IS BEAUTY/A.I.
Featuring 13 artists whose A.I.-generated image submissions earned widespread acclaim from the jury, this exhibition delves into the festival’s overarching theme, “What Makes Us Human? Image in the Age of A.I.” While distinct from traditional photography, these artworks highlight the profound intersection of technology and human creativity, inviting profound contemplation of the boundless possibilities of A.I. in reshaping the artistic landscape and its impact on human expression in the digital era.
UNCANNY ATLAS: IMAGE IN THE AGE OF A.I.
This exhibition aims to be a principle of cartography of this new world. And it does so through an investigation of how AI is changing, along with image production, our idea of photography, and inevitably also that of reality. Above all, the exhibition is an invitation to confrontation, at the intersection of many possible readings of a still largely empty map, where around the small known world there are still large, obscure areas, yet to be explored.
ETERNAL LOOPS
In the hands of the thirteen artists featured in this video exhibition, we voyage even deeper into this paradigm. Their work conjures dreamlike, occasionally nightmarish tales that teeter on the precipice of recognition and innovation. These contemporary visual metaphors form a symbiotic relationship with the familiar imagery of our collective past. The resultant sensation of familiarity takes on a disconcerting quality, an intrinsic facet of the artistic gambit these creators play.
SPANISH WOMEN: A CONTEMPORARY PORTRAIT OF STRENGTH AND BEAUTY
This exhibition celebrates the remarkable results of PhotoVogue’s inaugural Open Call in Spain done in collaboration with PHotoESPAÑA, the country’s most prestigious photography festival. PhotoVogue and Vogue Spain called upon artists from around the globe to submit their works, defying conventional norms and presenting fresh visual narratives.
CONDÉFUTURE
The festival will featured selected works from CondéFuture students. CondéFuture, led by Condé Nast’s creative and editorial teams, is a new global initiative that aims to inspire and nurture future generations of multimedia creative talent. Launched in New York City in 2021 in partnership with the non-profit organization Educational Alliance, the program targets high school students from underrepresented communities providing a free, two-year enrichment and mentorship program, led by talent within the Condé Nast community.
EYE MAMA
On the evening of the 16th, an engaging conversation awaits as part of the festival’s enriching program. Join us for a thought-provoking dialogue with Karni Arieli, a photographer and director, renowned for founding the transformative Eye Mama movement alongside several contributors of the Eye Mama book. This discussion aligns seamlessly with the festival’s theme “What Makes Us Human.” In addition to the conversation, a slideshow of images from the Eye Mama book will be on view in the exhibition space during the festival.
THE GRANTEES
The PhotoVogue Festival awarded two 5.000€ grants to Luisa Dörr and Sarfo Emmanuel Annor for submitting the most compelling and meaningful work to our Global Open Call: What is Beauty? They will each receive 5000€ to support their artistic journeys and further their growth.
See here for more as well as interviews with the artists.
SIDE EVENTS
This section will be updated soon.
Here you will find the photography events hosted by the best galleries within the most prestigious exhibition spaces in Milan taking place at the same time as the PhotoVogue Festival.
FESTIVAL INFORMATION
Dates
November 16th to 19th, 2023
Location
BASE Milano, Via Bergognone, 34, 20144 Milano MI, Italy
Hours
November 16th: 3 p.m. – 9 p.m.
November 17th to 19th: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
The event is free and everyone is welcome to attend
PhotoVogue Festival is a project directed by Alessia Glaviano (Head of Global PhotoVogue) and co-curated by Francesca Marani (Senior Photo Editor, Vogue Italia), Chiara Bardelli Nonino (Editor, Writer and Curator), Daniel Rodríguez Gordillo (Content Operations & Strategy Manager, Condé Nast) and Caterina De Biasio (Visual Editor, PhotoVogue)
BASE Milano is a hybrid cultural center serving the city, born from the regeneration of the industrial spaces of the former Ansaldo in the Tortona area. It’s a creative hub with an international atmosphere, boasting a community that produces social innovation and cultural cross-pollination between art, business, welfare, and education.
Here, research, experimentation, and social design activities coexist with the production and co-production of cultural and entertainment initiatives. This includes artist residency processes, festivals dedicated to design and art, musical events, and an annual public program that opens the space 365 days a year.
BASE positions itself as a diverse and inclusive artistic institution that enables and promotes conditions of access, coexistence, and collaboration among the stakeholders in the cultural and creative chain.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
