As artificial intelligence reconfigures the nature of perception, this programme interrogates the shifting grounds of visual truth. Bringing together AI Hyperrealism (Chapter 1 of Anatomy of Non-Fact) by Martyna Marciniak and LUMI by Abelardo Gil-Fournier and Jussi Parikka, the event explores how machine vision transforms image production, information transmission, and our sense of reality.

Both works treat the image not as a static record, but as an evolving epistemic event. AI Hyperrealism illuminates the collapse of authenticity, exposing the mechanisms of a “post-truth” landscape. Conversely, LUMI reconstructs lost icy landscapes from archival light data, transforming the scientific metric of albedo into a poetic instrument for visualizing memory and climate.

Moving beyond the mere spectacle of AI art, this programme adopts a critical stance on the changing paradigm of visual knowledge. The screening is followed by a roundtable featuring the filmmakers alongside Prof. De Kai, whose expertise in machine learning and AI ethics bridges the gap between computational logic and aesthetic practice and it will deepen the inquiry into synthetic agency. Moderated by acclaimed media artist Prof. Samson Young and curator Emilie Choi Sin Yi, the discussion will bridge global theoretical frameworks with local artistic perspectives.

Together, we trace how the optical has become a site of negotiation between sensory experience and machine learning. Join us to examine how the “synthetic” is redefining the boundaries between fact, fiction, and simulation.

Date: 13/3/2026 (Friday)
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm HKT (GMT+8)
Venue: Multimedia Theatre (M1060), L1, Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, City University of Hong Kong
Admission: Free and Open for Public (Online pre-registration is required)
Click here to register the screening

Speakers: Martyna Marciniak*, Jussi Parikka*, Abelardo Gil-Fournier*, De Kai
Moderators: Emilie Choi Sin-yi and Samson Young
Curator: Emilie Choi Sin-yi
Language: English
*Artists featured in the screening event; will participate in the discussion remotely.

Hosted by: School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong
Programme Partner: Videotage

This event is organized in collaboration with Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER), an initiative by Leonardo/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology (Leonardo/ISAST).

Leonardo/ISAST LASER Talks is a programme of international gatherings that bring artists, scientists, humanists and technologists together for informal presentations, performances and conversations with the wider public. LASER stands for Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous, an initiative by Leonardo/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology (Leonardo/ISAST). Its mission is to encourage contribution to the cultural environment of a region by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and opportunities for community building to over 50 cities and 5 continents worldwide. For more information, please visit LASER website.