News DeskDoha, Qatar – Ai or Nay? Artificial vs. Intelligent opened today at the Media Majlis Museum at Northwestern University in Qatar. The exhibition, running until May 15, 2025, invites audiences to question, reexamine, and deepen their inescapable relationship with machine learning. Through the lens of over 20 works by regional and international artists, immersive digital experiences, newly commissioned pieces, and loaned works from esteemed institutions such as the Computer History Museum (California, USA), Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah, UAE), and Qatar Museums (Qatar), the exhibition questions the opportunities and challenges AI presents in our contemporary life and how these relate to journalism.
Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar said: “As an institution dedicated to advancing excellence in media and communication, this exhibition exemplifies Northwestern Qatar’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of knowledge and engagement in contemporary media. It allows us to explore the intricate relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence, a pressing topic in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape. As we continue to create spaces for critical dialogue and community engagement, this exhibition is a prime example of how art and innovation can inspire exploration and challenge us to reflect on the evolving role of artificial intelligence in shaping the media landscape.”
Curated by Jack Thomas Taylor, Curator of Art, Media, and Technology at the Media Majlis Museum, Ai or Nay? Artificial vs. Intelligent invites visitors to engage with the intersection of digital and human learning and to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping concepts of privacy, identity, and representation while prompting a deeper reflection on our evolving connection to AI. Jack Thomas Taylor, Curator of Art, Media, and Technology, says: “We’re entering an era where AI will become as ubiquitous as the internet. Curating Ai or Nay? has allowed for the fundamental skills we need to navigate this new era—investigation, prompting, and questioning, to come to the fore, allowing audiences to reflect on a range of perspectives, as well as question their own. Visitors can interact with both digital and physical content in distinct ways, prompting them to consider whether we are shaping AI, or if AI is shaping us.”
On display are installations from international creatives such as Jan Zuiderveld (Netherlands), Patrick Tresset (France/Belgium), and Adnan Ayub Aga (UAE/Portugal), alongside interactive and visual works by Amr Alngmah (Yemen/Egypt), Farjana Salahuddin (Bangladesh), graphic designer Hind Al Saad (Qatar), and Hadeer Omar (Egypt) and Bilge Emir (Turkey/Germany). Complementing these artworks are digital installations created by the Media Majlis Museum, and a full-color illustrated glossary of AI and journalism terminology, available in both English and Arabic and published by Silvana Editoriale. The accompanying publication, edited by Taylor and Dubai-based journalist Katy Gillett, includes a foreword by Marwan M. Kraidy, Dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar, an introduction by the curator, and an endnote by Alfredo Cramerotti, Director.
Alfredo Cramerotti, Director, added: “Our museum is dedicated to thought-provoking initiatives and engaging with a younger generation that has grown up with technology. This exhibition aims to take a step forward, encouraging our audience to ask deeper questions and explore the future of AI through the intersection of art and technology.“
Ai or Nay? aligns with Northwestern Qatar’s broader goals of encouraging visitors to reflect on the rapidly developing contemporary society and underscores the museum’s role as a cultural hub that fosters deeper connections to contemporary issues while pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms and artistic expression.
