crossing wires — arts, ai & robotics

A three day event dedicated to Arts, AI and Robotics, presented by Ohme and hosted in collaboration with BrIAS.

The programme features art installations, workshops, engaging talks and a resonant closing night to celebrate the closure of the second edition of the Sustainable Robotics artistic residency.

Artists and researchers reflect on current themes such as ethical issues, climate change and our collective future in the age of automation and artificial intelligence. They share their vision and process, aiming to offer insights into our complex relationship to creative thinking and the computational systems that increasingly shape our world. Crossing Wires investigates topics like sustainable robotics, the future of Generative AI, creative computers and the complex dynamics between Art and AI.

Focusing on exploration rather than definitive answers, this event opens a space for dialogue and exchange on how artistic and scientific practices can challenge each other in shaping tomorrow’s society.

PROGRAMME

Crossing Wires opened on Monday with a focus on education and the material realities of digital technologies. Sarah Howard and Jo Tondeur explored the role of artificial intelligence in education, discussing how teachers can critically and meaningfully integrate AI tools into learning contexts. This was followed by a hands-on workshop by Guillaume Slizewicz and Gijs de Heij, who invited participants to trace the physical routes of their web activity and connect digital infrastructures to their energy-related impact.

On Tuesday, the programme broadened to global perspectives, creative collaboration, and critical reflection on AI. Hector Cruz Enriquez presented applied research strategies for AI adoption in developing countries, drawing on interdisciplinary projects in Cuba. Willem Zuidema and Marianne de Heer Kloots examined the complex exchanges between art and generative AI, while Geraint Wiggins and Hannu Toivonen reflected on machine creativity beyond generative models. The day concluded with a presentation by Yannick Jacquet on AI-generated images and deepfakes, offering tools to better understand (and question) digital manipulation.

The conference culminated on Wednesday evening with a closing night celebrating two years of the Sustainable Robotics artistic residency. Guillaume Slizewicz, Yael Edan, Kris Verdonck and Dewi Brunet reflected on artistic and research collaborations across the 2024 and 2025 editions. The evening closed with a live performance by Portrait XO.

Across all three days, art installations by Dewi Brunet, Kris Verdonck, Guillaume Slizewicz and Gijs de Heij were on display. Plantoid, The Garden of the Future and Carbon Technostructure offered tangible entry points into questions of sustainable robotics, ecological systems and the environmental footprint of digital technologies.