Der Mensch in der Schleife – 3 x Digitale Kunst im Saalbau

In the organizer's words:

From January 23 to 31, the foyer of the Saalbau Witten will be transformed into a space for digital discoveries. Three artists will be presenting their work under the title "Man in the loop".
All three have been part of the "no end to the road" fellowship program of the Kulturforum Witten in the past. In this exhibition, they are now coming together again to show their works together. Each project was created independently and was supported individually - you can expect an exciting variety of themes and digital techniques.

The artists and their projects:
Heinrich Lenz & Hamidreza Ghasemi: watch me kill my language
Lukas Schäfer, Rhys Connolly & Philippe Waldecker: habitat
Eunjeong Kim: Afloat

"Human in the loop" means that a human takes over a task in an automated technical system.
This human element is often forgotten, as was recently demonstrated in the debate surrounding Elon Musk's sexist and misogynistic AI chatbot "Grok": Many articles talk about AI being able to create sexualized images against the will of those affected. But it is not the AI that creates these images. Rather, it is the people who make this possible and use the technology. (In this case: men.)
At the same time, there are various positive examples: In radiology, AI systems mark conspicuous image areas, but without independently generating diagnoses. Human specialists first analyze and evaluate this data and make decisions based on it. Humans are thus at the end of the loop as producers of meaning.

The vernissage: The opening on January 23 (19:00) will feature a champagne reception, a mini-concert by
Lukas Schäfer and short guided tours through the works.
Program: After the welcome, there will be a short guided tour of the exhibition.
Music: Look forward to a 15-minute mini-concert by Lukas Schäfer.
Atmosphere: There will be a champagne reception and snacks at the "kitchenette" - an area that invites you to switch off and exchange ideas.
Info: The exhibition is open daily from 18:00 to 22:00 after the opening.

Due to the complex technology involved, the exhibition will only run for eight days.

The exhibition will be closed on Monday 26.01.2026

The exhibition makes digital processes physically tangible:
Interactive AI: Heinrich Lenz explores the logic of digital feedback loops with "Watch me Kill my Language". Visitors interact directly with an AI that learns exclusively from itself
and the audience until language and meaning lead to a fascinating loss of control.

Participatory sound: The installation "habitat" by Lukas Schäfer, Rhys Connolly and Philippe Waldecker transforms the foyer of the Saalbau. Using a barrier-free interface
guests create individual soundscapes and make architecture audible as a living space of experience.

Extended painting: In "AFLOAT", Eunjeong Kim combines physical, inflatable sculptures with extended reality (XR). By means of digital expansion, materiality and virtual space merge
space into a floating, spatial experience.

"Watch me Kill my Language" funded by: Neue Künste Ruhr, Ministry of Culture and Science NRW
"AFLOAT" funded by: Alfried Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach Foundation
"habitat" funded by: #artinprogress, Kultursekretariat NRW Gütersloh, Ministry of Culture and Science NRW; Karin and Uwe Hollweg Foundation

Production: Anna Sowo Koenning, Joscha Denzel, Communication: Marie Richter