The series “thinking about / working on” features projects and processes of students and teaching staff (mainly from exMedia), asking them to share thoughts on their current topics and give insight into their practice. The questions vary slightly and can be adapted by the interviewee. This time Vincent Brinkmann, postgraduate student, talks about his work concerning the idea of artificial neural patterns.

* What is the current focus of your work? What themes or subjects are you currently addressing in your work?
I am interested in the topic of artificial neural networks and explore the possibility of creating art with artificial neural networks. I am interested in the connection between the virtual and the physical, to bring the digital into physical space and to create a connection between code and material. I want to combine the topics of technology, science and art.

In WS 2015/16 at the KHM, Dr. Christan Faubel offered a seminar in the exmedia program with the topic “Artificial Neural Networks”. In the course of this seminar we programmed a simple artificial perceptron network and explored the topic. In a subsequent workshop we built a drawing machine and connected it to a self-programmed neural network. I then further developed the work from the seminar and workshop and put it together in an installation.

* What kind of materials are important to you right now and how is this expressed in your work? Are materials important to you?
Material is an important part of my work. The materiality of the work influences perception and attention. I like to work with materials that I encounter in my urban everyday life and therefore belong to the familiar surroundings for me.

* What kind of processes do you use in your work?
My work process varies depending on the project. Often I have a relatively long research phase in which I learn the roots of the topic and develop my first ideas. In the second phase I develop the idea into a project and experiment with different technologies and materials to see if they fit into my work. Afterwards, I create a 3D model of the work and build the individual components into an installation using 3D sketches. In the last phase, the work is prepared for the exhibition.