As part of the exhibition »Hybrid Tales for Hybrid Times« at the MU Hybrid Art House in Eindhoven, I teamed up with @nika.delaloncha and together we supported the performance artist duo the Zwermers with some AI-generated visuals to create a hybrid version of their »_PAN~// CATWALK«. We had a lot of fun playing around with their photo archive and exploring the possibilities of different machine-learning models to generate a lot of exciting visuals. The result was a wonderful experimental performance that merged the digital with the physical live in the exhibition space.
The Collaboration
Do we wear clothes or do the clothes wear us? What do we tell with our second skin? And how do we give meaning to the clothing choices of others? In the performance Pan~//Catwalk, the performance artists Zwermers play with the human tendency to label, categorize, and judge.
Asking the question how to translate their work into the digital world, we offered our expertise in working with image generation models to bring their archive to life, revealing new perspectives and fluid imaginations.
Do we wear clothes or do the clothes wear us? What do we tell with our second skin? And how do we give meaning to the clothing choices of others? In the performance Pan~//Catwalk, the performance artists Zwermers play with the human tendency to label, categorize, and judge.
Asking the question how to translate their work into the digital world, we offered our expertise in working with image generation models to bring their archive to life, revealing new perspectives and fluid imaginations.
The Dataset
The Zwermers granted us access to their extensive archive of photographed outfits. We labelled them neatly and catalogued them as a dataset in order to reinterpret their work with the help of AI tools. Above you can see a small extract from the archive.
The Zwermers granted us access to their extensive archive of photographed outfits. We labelled them neatly and catalogued them as a dataset in order to reinterpret their work with the help of AI tools. Above you can see a small extract from the archive.
Fluidity
This model made it possible to create interesting transitions between the individual identities. These represent the underlying connections between genders, fashion trends, and clothing conventions in an ongoing flux and diversity, revealing a creative potential hidden in the entirety of the data set.
This model made it possible to create interesting transitions between the individual identities. These represent the underlying connections between genders, fashion trends, and clothing conventions in an ongoing flux and diversity, revealing a creative potential hidden in the entirety of the data set.
Abstraction
The images created by this model had an abstract, sometimes even grotesque but still playful appeal. Some of the vibrant color combinations and patterns eventually inspired the artistic process. Some may be turned into real textile prints or even outfits in the future!
The images created by this model had an abstract, sometimes even grotesque but still playful appeal. Some of the vibrant color combinations and patterns eventually inspired the artistic process. Some may be turned into real textile prints or even outfits in the future!
More on that soon...
In this initial approach, we attempted to render the diversity of outfits contained in the Zwermer's portfolio, by mapping them directly onto the performative act of dressing and undressing. However, the process did not deliver any interesting results in the long term and was therefore ultimately discarded.
Hybrid live performance by
the Zwermers
the Zwermers
