Sougwen Chung

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“Embracing contradictions in art and research can pave the way to a third path.” — Sougwen Chung

“What becomes of the human hand in the age of AI?” For over a decade, artist and researcher Sougwen Chung has been investigating this question through captivating experiments in human and machine collaboration. Orchestrating live painting performances with robots for audiences around the world, their work reveals profound insights on how machines adapt to the human gesture and vice versa. Born in China and raised in Canada, Chung is interested in the idea of “hybridity,” where one forges new avenues for creative development beyond traditional binaries.

For Elisava Masters Talks, Chung speaks about their long-standing research question: “Where does AI end and where does humanity begin?”

Chinese-Canadian artist and researcher Sougwen 愫君 Chung is a pioneer in the field of human-machine collaboration. Their work MEMORY (created with Drawing Operations Unit: Generation 2 or “DOUG II”) is part of the permanent collection of London’s Victoria and Albert museum, and is the first AI model to be collected by a major institution. Chung is the founder of Scilicet, a studio that explores various modes of collaboration between artists and robotic technologies. In 2023 TIME magazine named Chung among the “100 Most Influential People in AI”.