Artists in Conversation: Contemporary Photography: From Analogue to AI

The exhibition ‘Materials of Memories’, which presents three very material approaches to photography, invites a reflection on the evolution of this art form in the age of digital technology and artificial intelligence. A discussion between two artists with radically different visions and techniques: Swede Erik Gustafsson and Frenchman Érik Bullot.
Start date:
05 Feb 2026
Category:
At the Institut Suédois
Time
19:00 - 20:30
Image en noir et blanc montrant un homme de dos dans une piÚce meublée de miroirs reflétant des boules lumineuses.
"CinĂ©ma vivant", Érik Bullot, sĂ©rie photographique, 2025. Le format de l'image a Ă©tĂ© modifiĂ©.

In ‘Materials of Memories’, three photographers come together to explore their art. They share a common interest in a specific feature of photography: the ‘fixing’ of time in matter. The entire photographic process, including work in the dark room, is central.

One of these photographers, Erik Gustafsson (born in 1987) alternates between experimenting with the direct exposure of photosensitive paper to light and documentary shots. He also works from pre-existing photos, fragments of texts and logos, assembled in a synchronised flow.

Érik Bullot (born in 1963) is a filmmaker and theorist. His work was notably presented in 2025 at Les Tanneries contemporary art centre and at the Jeu de Paume as part of the exhibition ‘Le Monde selon l’IA’. In 2024, he made a short film entirely with the aid of artificial intelligence: Le RĂȘve d’Abel Gance. This film was inspired by French filmmaker Abel Gance (1889–1981), a pioneer of silent films and visionary auteur of NapolĂ©on (1927), known for his technical innovations and his conception of total cinema. Bullot revisits Gance’s imaginative world through the metaphor of the ‘crystal house’, a mental and utopian film laboratory. Combining tribute and speculation, he creates a dialogue between the avant-garde of the early 20th century and contemporary AI tools, transforming Gance’s unfulfilled dreams into a ‘cinema of the future’ that is about both memory and invention.

The discussion between Erik Gustafsson and Érik Bullot will focus on the contemporary photographic scene and its evolutions, the challenges of using artificial intelligence, and the coexistence of traditional and new techniques.

Moderator: Ada Ackerman is a researcher at CNRS and an art historian. She co-curated the exhibition ‘Le Monde selon l’IA’ at the Jeu de Paume in 2025.

Useful Information

  • Discussion in English
  • Free admission while seats last