Artistes & Robots: Paris Exhibition Explores Artist-Machine Collaboration

The Grand Palais in Paris opens 'Artistes & Robots', a major exhibition examining the relationship between artists and machines. Curated by art historian Laurence Bertrand Dorléac with Jérôme Neutres and artist Miguel Chevalier as consultant, the show features around thirty works spanning painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, architecture, design, and music. It traces the history of artistic experimentation with machinery from the 1950s and 1960s pioneers like Nicolas Schöffer and Jean Tinguely, through algorithmic art by early computer artists, interactive installations and software art of the 1980s and 1990s, to contemporary explorations of artificial intelligence. The exhibition is divided into three thematic sections: 'Machines to Create' showcases robots with mechanical arms that paint, draw, and engrave; 'The Programmed Work' focuses on generative software and interactive pieces; and the final section centers on AI, questioning whether machines can imagine and make decisions. Featured artists include algorithmic pioneers Vera Molnar and Manfred Mohr, technology experimenters Nam June Paik and Stelarc, and Italian artist Arcangelo Sassolino with his mechanical sculptures.