Preservation is Power: AI in the Archive
On Thursday, 4 September, Foam presents the evening programme Preservation is Power: AI in the Archive, in collaboration with Studio Polat.
This symposium explores the power, vulnerability, and future of the photographic archive—particularly online archives—through the lens of collections related to the Second World War and heritage institutions. Hosted by Ahmet Polat, guest speakers Charles Jeurgens, Laurens Vreekamp, Sennay Ghebreab, Monique Steijns, Vera van der Burg, Thamar Luthart (Medusa Medusa), René Kok and spoken word artist Rashif El Kaoui will join us to share their insights.
About the symposium
In a world flooded with digital images and artificial intelligence, the photographic archive is also under pressure. What is still real — and was it ever real to begin with? Is there still such a thing as a shared truth, and who gets to define it? What does the Image Archive of the future need in order to remain relevant?
Through short presentations, dynamic conversations, interviews, and inspiring performances, we bring together a range of voices: from curators and image-makers to AI experts and thinkers on power, memory, and truth.
18:00 Walk-in
18:30 Start
18:30 Opening by Ahmet Polat
18:35 Paneldiscussion 1:
Charles Jeurgens, René Kok, Monique Steijns.19:00 Q&A
19:05 Intermezzo:
Spoken word door Rashif El Kaoui19:10 Interview met Sennay Ghebreab
19:30 Paneldiscussion 2:
Laurens Vreekamp, Vera van der Burg, Thamar Luthart (Medusa Medusa).19:55 Q&A with public
20:00 The end
This programme is an initiative by Studio Polat and is organised in collaboration with Foam. It is intended for people interested in image archives, (war) photography, AI, and visual storytelling of the future.
This evening is part of a research trajectory within Foam’s artistic programme, launched in early 2024 under the title The Camera as a Weapon, which included a pop-up exhibition of the same name and a symposium.
In a time marked by conflict, Foam poses the question: what can photography do? Through this research line – which also included the exhibition Yawm al-Firak by Sakir Khader — the museum responds to current events by presenting artistic practices in which the camera is used as a weapon.
Preservation is Power: AI in the Archive