Workshops d'octobre

Two simultaneous workshops were organised in October for Via Ferrata students. 
One focused on artificial intelligence and was entitled ‘Survival kit and guide to creating a missing image’. It was led by Pierre de Mahéas, artist and lecturer at Via Ferrata.

"We will discuss the mathematisation of the world and the philosophy of mind, generative linguistics and parrots, machines and Turing tests, chess and Go, neural networks and people who do not exist, latent space and 12,000-dimensional words, long-termism and existential risk. By devoting a large part of the workshop to explaining the technical foundations of AI, we will strip it of its aura of mystery while recognising its unprecedented potential. We will then see that AI requires us to redefine the very notion of creativity."

The other workshop was organised in collaboration with the school's woodworking department, its head Pascal Aumaître, its excellent instructors and its students. Walks, land art, visits and creations punctuated the week. (Some images related to this article)  

"This workshop will focus on walking, wandering, community, drawing, nature, trees, ferns, wood essence, minerals, primates, ourselves, land art, orienteering, evolution, plants, fossils, earth, skeletons, animals, 300-million-year-old rainprints, photographs, bark, smells, assemblages, constructions, collages, and the ephemeral. Good trainers, backpacks, notebooks, energy and dirty hands are essential."