Real Feelings – A Talk on Work and AI with Simone C. Niquille and Sabine Himmelsbach
Simone C. Niquille (CH), Sabine Himmelsbach (DE)

The curators behind the exhibition Real Feelings at HeK Basel in conversation with the participating Swiss artist Simone C. Niquille. Her work Elephant Juice, specifically commissioned for the show, explores artificial emotional intelligence being used in employment procedures. The work follows a character preparing for an upcoming automated job interview, reflecting on the limits of objectivity and automatic categorization of deeply personal and delicate matters of emotion.

Real Feelings – A talk on Survival with Lucy McRae and Angelique Spaninks
Lucy McRae (GB), Angelique Spaninks (NL)

Sci Fi Artist and Body Architect Lucy McRae in conversation with the curators behind the exhibition Real Feelings. Her new work Solitary Survival Raft, shown at HeK, is an inflatable, reactive, breathing sculpture, inviting visitors to crawl into it for safety. The outbreak of Covid-19 has made our digitalized societies evade the human touch even more. Going against the idea of a future without being touched, McRae builds machines that gently embrace and hold the body.

Real Feelings – A Talk on Vibes with Lauren Lee McCarthy, Kyle McDonald and Ariane Koek
Lauren Lee McCarthy (US), Kyle McDonald (US), Ariane Koek (GB)

Sabine Himmelsbach, Ariane Koek and Angelique Spaninks, the curators behind the exhibition Real Feelings at HeK Basel in conversation with the American artist Lauren Lee McCarthy. This Artist Talk allows insights into the work of a highly interesting and relevant artist, examining social relationships in the midst of surveillance, automation and algorithmic living. Her interactive installation Vibe Check, especially commissioned for the exhibition at HeK, consists of a series of cameras capturing and analyzing the visitors emotional reactions to each other, ultimately presenting the results to them individually.

Real Feelings – A Virtual Exhibition Tour with curator Sabine Himmelsbach
Sabine Himmelsbach (DE)

Co-curator Sabine Himmelsbach will digitally guide you through the international group show Real Feelings at HeK Basel, to present work by 20 artists in mediums ranging from artificial intelligence, interactive installations, robotics and biometrics, to gaming, video installations, virtual reality and photography. The shown works examine how technology can capture, evaluate or generate our emotions in a variety of ways. Find out more about the artistic and curatorial choices that determined the installation and set design of the exhibition.