Bildmuseet: New book on AI, art and agency
4.11.2026 08:00:00 CET | Umeå University | Press Release
The use of AI raises fundamental questions about who or what has agency. What happens when decision-making power shifts away from the individual? What does it mean for artists, for society, for the planet and for the future of humanity? A new publication from Bildmuseet at Umeå University explores these urgent questions.
The Swedish launch of AI and the Paradox of Agency takes place at Bildmuseet on Saturday, 14 November at 2 PM, with artists Rachel Maclean and Dennis Delgado and editor and curator Sarah Cook. The event includes a screening of Rachel Maclean’s new film They've Got Your Eyes (2026, 19 min), followed by a public conversation on AI, art and agency with Maclean, Delgado and Cook. Welcome!
Published by Bildmuseet in collaboration with Hatje Cantz, the book AI and the Paradox of Agency accompanies the exhibition of the same name. The publication is edited by Professor Sarah Cook, who also co-curated the exhibition with Bildmuseet Director Katarina Pierre.
The book centres on conversations between Cook and the artists featured in the exhibition currently on view at Bildmuseet: boredom research, Tega Brain, Dennis Delgado, Linda Dounia Rebeiz, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Nicolas Gourault, Zeno Gries, Lawrence Lek, Rachel Maclean, Stephen Marche, Lauren Lee McCarthy, Florian Model, Yuri Pattison, Planetary Portals, Raqs Media Collective, Daniel Shanken, Caroline Sinders & Romy Gad el Rab, Paola Torres Núñez del Prado and Addie Wagenknecht.
The publication also includes a foreword by Bildmuseet Director Katarina Pierre, an introduction by Sarah Cook, and essays by art writer Charlotte Kent and philosopher of technology Alasdair Milne.
The book AI and the Paradox of Agency is available in English from the museum shop and selected online booksellers. The exhibition runs until 17 January, 2027. Both the publication and the exhibition have been made possible with support from the Jacob Wallenberg Foundation and WASP-HS (Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanity and Society).
Keywords
Contacts
Helena VejbrinkCommunication officerBildmuseet
Tel:+46 90 786 9073helena.vejbrink@bildmuseet.umu.seImages
About Bildmuseet
Bildmuseet is one of Sweden’s foremost venues for international contemporary art and part of Umeå University. Here, art and research meet to explore the urgent questions of our time. Exhibitions are produced in collaboration with artists, museums and universities worldwide. Visitors are invited to guided tours, creative workshops, artist talks, debates, lectures, film screenings, concerts, and other events.
Bildmuseet is situated in an acclaimed building on the Umeå Arts Campus by the Umeälven river, alongside the Academy of Fine Arts, the School of Architecture, the Institute of Design, and UmArts. Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest universities, with more than 41,500 students and 4,600 employees. It is a multifaceted university where education and research in the creative realm are vital elements.
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