HAU’s digital stage
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing art and everyday life. “AIsolation” shows international short films that creatively illuminate the opportunities, risks and ethical issues of AI, reflecting on isolation, technology and new forms of coexistence.
The rapid development of AI technologies is fundamentally changing our society and culture – it opens up new possibilities but also brings significant challenges: At the Berlinale 2025, a 72-minute animated film was presented that was created by a single person in just seven days using AI. These developments demonstrate how artificial intelligence empowers independent creatives and democratizes access to art production. At the same time, the technology raises serious questions: In February 2024, a 14-year-old in Orlando took his own life after discussing suicide with an AI-powered virtual partner. Such tragic cases highlight the risks of unregulated AI use and make ethical and societal debates urgently necessary. Can artificial intelligence reduce social isolation, or could it even exacerbate it?
Against this backdrop, the Goethe-Institut and HAU Hebbel am Ufer, in cooperation with Berlin Art Week, presented the online short film series “AIsolation,” created as part of the AI short film competition of the same name. The aim is to foster critical reflection on artificial intelligence and its impact on society. An interdisciplinary jury of experts from the fields of film, art, humanities, and technology selected the 22 most remarkable out of 205 submissions from countries such as China, Germany, France, the UK, Korea, Malaysia, Ukraine, the USA and Uzbekistan.
As part of “Being Alone. Artistic Perspectives from Central and East Asia and Beyond,” we are once again presenting the longlist at HAU4, along with a selection of 11 films as part of the exhibition at HAU2.
Jury members:
First round:
Shu Cao (interdisciplinary artist)
Pengyuan Gu (Program Director at the FIRST International Film Festival)
Sarah Reimann (Curator at HAU4)
Theresa Reiwer ((post)digital artist)
Second round:
Qiufan Chen (writer and futurist)
Tianzhuo Chen (multidisciplinary artist)
Katja Grawinkel-Claassen (dramaturg)
Tan Chui Mui (film director)
Inhwa Yeom (media artist)
Theresa Züger (interdisciplinary researcher in the field of artificial intelligence)
Best Artistic Innovation Award:
Before the Drop | Rosa Wernecke
Most Courageous Visionary Award:
iDent | Lazybackhome
Honorable Mention from the Jury:
Discourse on the origins of inequality among ≥ ≈ | Barcode People (Liang Qihao, Shu Tong)
Reverse Engineering Non Generic AI Poetry | Leon Keiditsch
Short Film Longlist:
Before the Drop | Rosa Wernecke
briDsunG | Lin Ziyang
Discourse on the origins of inequality among ≥ ≈ | Barcode People (Liang Qihao, Shu Tong)
Echo | Liu Ziyu
Good Days | Kam Hiu Lam Alexis
iDent | Lazybackhome
Invisible Women | OHuo (Yu Fan, Lu Song)
Is the Art Gallery a Battlefield? | Li Yuke
Island Man | Lu Shan
Joan of Arc Arrives at the Hotel Intercontinental | Meghan Smith
John Doe | Hu Qiao
Moments When Pain Arrives | Huang Jiangyan
Phantastikè | Liu Yewen, Liu Shuai
Red Desire | Yang Minto, Zhang Zhiheng, Li Dongyi, Chen Kexin
Reverse Engineering Non-Generic AI Poetry | Leon Keiditsch
The anger that breaks a man into boys | Xu Wenjun
The spectacle of paradise | Wang Hanlin
Trash Boy | Daniel Renn
What Makes Us Human | Wuyenong
Which Is True | Qi Wenlong
White Room, Black Square | Lyu Wenxuan, Liu Xinyu
Wild Horses | iRuler
Dates
- Current
- Past
A selection of 11 films will also be screened as part of the exhibition at HAU2.
29.5., 17:00–23:00, 30.5., 16:00–23:00, 31.5., 14:00–23:00
Credits
Part of “Being Alone – Artistic Perspectives from Central and East Asia and Beyond“, a project within “Solitude: Loneliness & Freedom,” an initiative of the Goethe-Institutes in East and Central Asia in cooperation with HAU Hebbel am Ufer.
