Boris Eldagsen – The provocateur of visual truth

Boris Eldagsen polarises, provokes and inspires. He is not only an artist, but also a thought leader who operates at the interface between photography, art and artificial intelligence.

Ever since he turned down the prestigious Sony World Photography Award in 2023 because his submitted work was generated using AI, he has been regarded as the critical voice of AI art.

‘A picture is worth a thousand words – but what if it was created by a machine?’

The story of a border crosser.

Boris Eldagsen originally comes from a classical art background. Born in Pirmasens, he studied philosophy and fine art in Mainz, Prague and Australia. His early works consisted of analogue photography, in which he already explored the tension between reality and illusion. With the advent of AI tools such as DALL-E and Midjourney, he suddenly saw new opportunities to expand his visions – and at the same time ask questions that go far beyond art.

His image series ‘Pseudomnesia’ (Greek for ‘false memory’) plays with the aesthetics of old photographs and questions our trust in visual truths. “We believe images because we think they have a core of truth. AI shows us that this can no longer be taken for granted,” says Eldagsen.

Why his keynotes are unique:

• Art meets technology: Eldagsen combines technical expertise with artistic sensitivity.

• Ethics and responsibility: He talks about copyright, fake news and the dangers of manipulated content.

• Live demonstrations: He shows on site how AI images are created – an aha experience for any audience.

His talks are not only a glimpse into the future of creativity, but also a plea for the conscious use of technology. He calls for us to establish new guidelines for the use of AI in the art and media world.

A story that made headlines.

When Boris Eldagsen submitted his AI-generated image for the Sony Award in 2023, he did so deliberately to trigger a dialogue. When he then turned down the trophy, he said: “I don’t want awards for AI images. I want us to understand what we’re up against here.” This bold stance made him famous worldwide and brought him to the big stages of tech and art conferences.

Another example of his storytelling is the creation of Pseudomnesia: Boris Eldagsen wanted to create images that looked like they came from old family albums. Many viewers only realised that they had never existed after seeing clues – proof of how deceptively real AI art can be.

More than art – a social wake-up call.

Boris Eldagsen uses his keynotes not only to show what AI can do today, but also to talk about its social impact. ‘We have to learn to scrutinise machine images, just as we have been reading texts critically for a long time,’ he emphasises. His aim is not to demonise technology, but to put it in the right context. He describes how easily AI images can be used for disinformation and calls for more media literacy.

His lectures are peppered with anecdotes from his own artistic work: from experiments with faulty algorithms that generate unpredictable, almost surreal visual worlds to projects in which he deliberately ‘misled’ AI in order to explore the limits of creativity.

Boris Eldagsen: ‘I have made AI create dreams – but they are always my dreams, not theirs.’

Whether at technology events, media conventions or art symposia, Eldagsen offers a unique blend of provocation, expertise and artistic vision. He doesn’t just talk about AI, but about the role of humans in an increasingly automated world. With his live demonstrations, he shows how AI images are created and at the same time opens up the space for critical discussions.

His keynotes are visually impressive, engaging and thought-provoking. He not only provides answers, but also asks the crucial questions: What does creativity mean in the age of artificial intelligence and machines? What is true when everything is falsifiable?

“AI can create images, but it can’t create a soul.” Boris Eldagsen

A visionary with attitude.

Boris Eldagsen is more than a photographer – he is a critical thinker who questions our relationship to images and truth. His keynotes are an experience for anyone who wants to understand and shape the dialogue between people and technology. Anyone who books him will experience an artist who is courageous, initiates debates and actively shapes the future of creativity.

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