Machine Sovereignty and Digital Mortality
In an era shaped by artificial intelligence, robotics, and data-driven governance, traditional ideas of autonomy, mortality, and artistic authorship are rapidly transforming. The IJCAI 2025 Art Gallery presents a visionary collection of works that examine these shifting paradigms—tracing the contours of machine sovereignty and its implications for human futures. This year’s gallery takes place in Montreal, Canada (August 16–22).
The exhibition explores how emerging technologies and algorithmic systems redefine governance, personhood, and the boundaries between life and death. What does it mean to trust machines? Can art act as a lens through which we grasp the moral and philosophical weight of technological acceleration?
A total of 14 artworks has been selected for this year’s gallery, showcasing a wide range of media and perspectives—from speculative installations and algorithmic landscapes to AI self-portraits, immersive VR, and robotic sculptures. Together, they offer a provocative meditation on the power, ethics, and imagination of computational systems.
Featured Events in Montreal
The IJCAI 2025 Art Gallery’s main showcase will be held at Palais des congrès de Montréal from August 16 to 22, featuring all selected works in a professionally curated setting. Visitors can explore the works onsite, engage with artists and curators, and participate in public programs designed to spark interdisciplinary dialogue between technology and the arts.
Additionally, the artworks will be exhibited during the IJCAI Welcome Reception, hosted at New City Gas, one of Montreal’s most iconic cultural venues. This special evening creates a vibrant atmosphere for artists and researchers to mingle and celebrate artistic inquiry at the edge of machine intelligence.
Installation and Opening Tour
Artists and production teams are invited to set up their installations on the afternoon of August 15 and the morning of August 16. Technical and curatorial support will be provided on site. A guided tour and opening ceremony will be held on the afternoon of August 16, offering artists the opportunity to present their works and share insights behind their creative visions.
Art Gallery Chair – Pan Hui
Jury & Reviewers
Sougwen Chung
Peter Beyls
Clio Flego
Irini Mirena Papadimitriou
Joel Kwong
Krista Kim
Theo Papatheodorou
Clea T. Waite
Curatorial Team
Christie Pang
Yuyang Jiang
Accepted Artworks ＆ Catalogue
- Body Oracle
Danlin Huang, Ke Huang, Ruoqi Wang, Botao Amber Hu - Algorithm Pasture
Lu Yi - Polyp 2.0
Alonso Trillo Roberto, Poliks Marek, McFadzean Helena - Péripéties: Fragile Sovereignties
Rebecca Ruige Xu, Sean Zhai - Cat Royale
Tandavanitj Nick, Adams Matt, Row Farr Ju, Benford Steve, Chamberlain Alan, Schneiders Eike - Fides Machina (Trust Machine)
Xindi Kang, Isaac Clarke - Empathic Growth
Ziwei Wu, Danlu Fei, Meng Yang, Jiaqi Shi - Matrix Model and Uberbau
Rui Hu, Chen Yingshu - AI Self-portrait
Simon Penny - RoboSax Melody Slot Machine
Masatoshi Hamanaka, Gou Koutaki, Kyoko Otagawa - “Glass Boxing”: A Cage of Vision, Code, and Interpretation
Huang Enqi, Nie Kexin, Wang Xintong, Li Yan, Guo Mengyao, Jiang Yuyang, Chen Xiaowen, Fei Jun - Cloud Passenger
Huang Xuanyang, Zhong Xiaoyun - Paper Bark
Hannen Wolfe - Recall, Resound
MAO Yuanyuan, WANG Yibo, YANG Yiwen, LEI Xiaokang