Facilitated a multimedia workshop to help a group of students take an in-depth look at the challenges of Artificial Intelligence through their own expressions, images, voice, sound, AI tools, immersive techniques... with the aim of creating an exhibition on the theme of AI. In cooperation with Romain Baujard.
Workshop led by Benoît Labourdette for students in the 2024/2025 class of Master 2 Audiovisual and Digital Media at Université Grenoble Alpes, co-directed by Laurie Schmitt and Jean-Baptiste Fribourg.
Pedagogical principle
My pedagogical principle is that I will take the students through strong, personal, individual and autonomous experiences, from which they will be able to elaborate their thoughts.
When they arrive in the room, there are a large number of books spread out on a very large table. They are invited to peruse them as they wish. In this way, everyone can explore the subject of Artificial Intelligence in their own way. In a large suitcase, I bring along part of my extensive library on the subject. These books are mediation objects in themselves.
Then, to “move on” immediately in a creative and straightforward way, I suggest that they use the books to create photographs of visual material that could be used in their future exhibition. It’s creative work, because taking a photo of a book may seem trivial, but having the intention of creating a useful visual form from books is a real exploration of one’s own point of view, one’s own expression.
I’ve created a digital sharing space, very simply accessible via a QR code, which allows them to share their work. In this way, their creations are collective and accessible, so that they can concretely nourish their work of elaboration. All the creations I had them make were progressively deposited on this platform, which they used as a working tool.
Mapping Artificial Intelligence
Based on their personal reflections and the exchanges we’ve had, I suggest that they each write down on sheets of paper the notions that seem important to them around the issues of artificial intelligence, and then we place them on the ground, in an attempt to establish a “cartography” of Artificial Intelligence. And finally, as they had already formed four working groups for their future exhibition, place their groups on this cartography.
Collective bibliography
I invite them to return to a more academic approach, to photograph and share the covers and back covers of books they find useful on the subject of AI. In this way, we can collectively create a knowledge tool.
Podcasts on AI
I now get them to combine creativity, self-expression, risk-taking and critical thinking: I ask them to choose an extract from a book that seems important to them, and to record it, publicly, as a podcast. The idea is that these podcasts could eventually be used to soundtrack the exhibition. This recording moment is intense, invested, difficult and therefore very constructive.
Staged photographs
I now ask them to work in small teams to create staged photographs, which can also be used in the exhibition. The aim is to encourage them to work collectively, always focusing on creativity, fantasy and invention, which is what will make their exhibition interesting.
Sound effects
The day before for the following day, I commission them to create sound ambiences, at least 5 minutes long, which can be used to create the sensation of immersion in the exhibition. The next day, we listen to these soundtracks, and are immersed in highly singular universes that work emotionally. It’s about sharing what I’ve listened to in my life, and sharing it with others.
Definitions of key AI concepts
Once again on the podcast, I ask them to define key notions of Artificial Intelligence, in order to build an informative content. Before recording, they’ll have to do a lot of exploring, in books and elsewhere.
Musical creation
On the second day, they were welcomed into the room by musical instruments I’d laid out on the table, easy to use and a joy to play. I invited them to explore the sounds they could make with them, and then to make recordings of potentially useful musical ambiences.
Sensitive testimonials
I asked them each to record a sensitive testimony, real or imaginary, about a moment in their lives when Artificial Intelligence had had a major impact, changed their lives. These testimonies were very beautiful, very invested, like a crowning achievement of their journey over these two days.
Experimenting with video-mapping
In the end, I got them to experiment with an artisanal video-mapping technique, based on the themes of Artificial Intelligence. It’s a very inspiring prototyping or production technique for imagining exhibitions.
Experiments in the exhibition space
Over the next two days, Romain Baujard accompanied the students as they experimented with devices in the exhibition space.
Presentation of the exhibition project as part of the Rencontres Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes du Pôle régional d’éducation aux images et aux nouveaux médias
The students presented their exhibition project as part of the Rencontres Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes du Pôle régional d’éducation aux images et aux nouveaux médias at lux Scène nationale de Valence, before unveiling it to the public a fortnight later.
