Generative AI in the Context of Art and Design

    How can ‘artificial intelligences’ (AI) such as ChatGPT, Midjourney and Flux be used meaningfully and sustainably in creative design and art projects? The workshop offers an introduction to the technical basics of these tools and gives participants the opportunity to integrate them competently into their own practice.

    Key data

    ECTS points
    2
    Next start
    January 2026
    Duration
    1 week
    School days
    5
    Teaching language
    English
    Place
    Basel, Dreispitz
    Price
    From CHF 900.– (view fees)
    Studying type
    Fulltime

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    Participants will gain a basic understanding of generative AI systems and will be empowered to conduct practical experiments with these systems. The course provides an in-depth introduction to the application and combination of ChatGPT, Midjourney and and Flux as well as video generators such as Runway in the context of art and design. The acquired knowledge will be applied in visual experiments to enable participants to discuss the implications of artificial intelligence based on a sound understanding. In critical reflection, we address copyright issues as well as the structural bias of the underlying data sets. In supervised project work, participants will test how these innovative methods can be effectively integrated and used in their own practice and research.

    Dr. des. Ludwig Zeller
    Dr. des. Ludwig Zeller, born 1981, is a lecturer and researcher at the Institute Digital Communication Environments (IDCE). An alumnus of the Royal College of Art London and the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, he researches the interface between technology and society and moves fluidly between creative-artistic and scientific disciplines. Ludwig Zeller completed his doctorate in art and media studies on the aesthetics and fictionality of critical and (meta-)speculative design. Zeller’s work, which has been shown many times on international platforms, focuses on emergent media technologies, especially in the field of algorithmic arts. Current projects include ‘Sonic Imagination’ (SNF Spark and Agora) and the mixed reality sound lab ‘Open-SoundLab’. In addition, Ludwig Zeller has been involved in workshops on generative AI since 2019 and is researching the applications of these technologies in the arts. Further info: www.ludwigzeller.net.

    The workshop is aimed at researchers and practitioners of all design and artistic disciplines as well as related academic disciplines. Please note that additional costs may apply for the use of certain cloud services.

    The rapid increase in fidelity and flexibility of generative AI tools suggests that this technology will play a major role in the world of art and design. The primary goal of the workshop is to give participants an insight into generative AI methods so that they can both understand the theoretical foundations and test these approaches in their own projects. In doing so, they should be able to better assess the potentials, limits and risks of these technologies. This will enable participants to make informed decisions about how AI might be applied to their creative processes and how they would like to integrate the technology into their own practice.

    The Institute Digital Communication Environments (IDCE) offers workshops for students, educators and graphic designers.

    The workshops afford insights into topical themes of visual communication for analogue and digital communication channels in a study programme reflecting the rich tradition of the Basel School of Design. Practical exercises with a high level of professionalism form the core of the workshops focus. Reflection as well as contextual knowledge will be conveyed by way of input sessions, allowing participants’ work to be judged within a contemporary, future-oriented context relevant to professional practice. The trinational Rhine River Valley is a unique cultural environment with easy access to France and Germany and to sites such as the Vitra Design Museum (G), the Isenheimer Alter (F), or Ronchamps (F). In Basel, the Fondation Beyeler, Tinguely Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Schaulager, and Museum of Contemporary Art are world-renowned. Besides its museums, Basel offers a rich mixture of cultural events.

    Multiple Bookings:
     2 ECTS  CHF   900.-
     4 ECTS  CHF 1700.-
     6 ECTS  CHF 2400.-
     8 ECTS  CHF 3000.-
    10 ECTS CHF 3500.-

    20% discount with a valid student ID. This must be sent in with the registration (pdf).

    Institute Digital Communication Environments (IDCE)

    Visual communication is a tool of knowledge generation in its own right. Visualizations make things perceptible, imaginable and graspable.

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    Dreispitz Basel

    FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland
    Basel Academy of Art and Design

    Freilager-Platz 1

    4142 Münchenstein near Basel