Entity dreams body, 2025, room installation with 2 videos, tv sculpture, 10 polaroids. Simulation.
In Entity Dreams Body, the boundaries between life and simulation are explored: A breathing skin balloon rises and falls, next to it a child’s toy whose lifelike eyes return the gaze. Human fragments, technology, and toys merge into a hybrid being – familiar and eerie at the same time.
The work negotiates the boundaries between humans and machines, between what is technically feasible and what is ethically acceptable. Prostheses and enhancements do not appear as progress, but as unsettling transformations that alienate humanity. Instead of envisioning harmonious coexistence, the installation reveals the ambivalence and unease of a possible future: Where does the synthetic begin to transform the human? And how can a balance between humanity and alienation still be conceived in a world of permanent enhancement?
This idea is embodied in ten Polaroids showing a toy – strikingly similar to the hybrid creature – in the hands of a child. The photographs are based on documentary material and bear the traces of a real past.
From another corner of the room, a voice hallucinates about “posthumanism.” A tower of pedestals rises, crowned by a small CRT television that functions as a “head”. The screen displays the digitally reconstructed head of a child, generated from real archive material. The voice and text come from artificial intelligence.
The work combines memory and technological simulation and condenses questions about identity, reproduction, and the role of humans in the posthuman age.
Music: Rasmus Kassnel-Henneberg
2025, video with sound, 4:11 min, cgi, animation
10 polaroids, 2025 / 2015 / 2011
2025, Video with sound, 2:20 min, cgi, animation
Time-based media art Concept Portfolio Erika Kassnel-Henneberg (born 1973) is a conceptual and media artist with German-Romanian roots whose artistic work deals intensively and profoundly with the complex tensions between humans, technology, and society. In a world increasingly shaped by technological developments and artificial systems, her work poses the central question of a new humanism—a humanism that not only preserves the human in the midst of digital transformations, but also redefines and rethinks it. Entity Body Simulation Boundaries. Her works primarily reflect the profound change in our perception, identity, and memory, which must be continuously renegotiated in an increasingly digitalized reality. At the heart of Kassnel-Henneberg’s artistic practice is a critical examination of the far-reaching effects of digitalization on human self-perception and social structures. Her works question the extent to which humans still exist as independent, autonomous subjects when artificial intelligence, algorithms, and digital systems increasingly influence, control, and in some cases even supplant areas of life. This thematic basis creates a profound discourse on the relationship between biological existence and technological expansion, which manifests itself in her art in diverse and differentiated ways. Kassnel-Henneberg understands her artistic practice as a connecting bridge between analog and digital worlds. She uses a broad and diverse range of media and techniques to make aesthetic and conceptual interconnections visible and tangible. She employs video, CGI (computer-generated imagery), artificial intelligence, Polaroid photography, collage, and mixed media approaches. Through this deliberate combination, she creates works that move between reality and simulation, between documentation and construction, inviting the audience to critically question their own perception of the present, which is often shaped by digital media. Kassnel-Henneberg’s cross-media approach allows her to present social and cultural developments in a multi-layered, complex context. Entity Body Simulation Boundaries. The use of digital technologies such as CGI and artificial intelligence not only serves the purpose of visual design, but also functions as a critical tool for examining the mechanisms and far-reaching effects of these technologies on our everyday lives and perceptions. At the same time, the conscious use of analog techniques such as Polaroid or collage refers to a return to the haptic, material aspects of the artwork, thus opening up an exciting, intermedial dialogue between old and new, analog and digital. Her artistic career is characterized by a sound and interdisciplinary academic education. Erika Kassnel-Henneberg first studied restoration at the renowned University of the Arts in Bern, Switzerland. There, she not only acquired craftsmanship skills and a deep technical understanding of the conservation of cultural artifacts, but also developed a keen awareness of the historical and social significance of art and cultural heritage. She then went on to study interactive media at the Technical University of Augsburg in Germany, where she deepened and expanded her skills in the field of digital technologies and media art. This interdisciplinary education forms the basis for her innovative artistic practice, which blends traditional and modern techniques to create new forms of visual and content-based communication. Kassnel-Henneberg’s artistic works have already received wide and lasting recognition and have been presented in numerous national and international exhibitions and media art festivals. Particularly noteworthy is her solo exhibition “Uncanny Valley” at the Neue Galerie in the Höhmannhaus of the Municipal Art Collections and Museums of Augsburg. This exhibition impressively addressed the oppressive feeling of unease that arises when artificial systems become increasingly similar to humans in appearance or behavior. It showed in a fascinating way how art can reflect social fears and hopes regarding technology and humanity and stimulate discourse. In addition, their work has been shown several times at the renowned FILE – Electronic Language International Festival in São Paulo, Brazil. This festival is one of the world’s leading platforms for digital art and electronic media, underscoring the international significance and relevance of Kassnel-Henneberg’s artistic work. Her presentations there confirmed her role as an important voice in the contemporary media art scene, addressing the pressing issues of our time. In 2013, Erika Kassnel-Henneberg was awarded the Art Prize of the City of Krumbach for her book object “Heimat ist anderswo” (Home is Elsewhere). This analog work in the form of an edited historical photo album takes an in-depth look at questions of identity, belonging, and place. It thus reflects on fundamental social issues that are becoming increasingly important in the face of global mobility and digital networking. In 2022, she also received the Art Prize of the District of Augsburg for her entire oeuvre—a significant honor that recognizes her long-standing artistic commitment and her outstanding contributions to contemporary art and media culture. In addition to her artistic activities, Kassnel-Henneberg is also heavily involved in academia. She is a lecturer at the Technical University of Augsburg, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and the Free Academy of Art in Augsburg. In these roles, she not only imparts in-depth artistic knowledge, but also promotes critical and reflective dialogue among students about media, society, and technology. Her educational work thus complements her artistic practice and contributes significantly to the sustainable development and promotion of media art in Germany. In addition, she is active in various jury committees, where she contributes her extensive expertise and many years of experience to support innovative and forward-looking positions in the contemporary art scene. Her commitment also extends to the promotion of media culture, where she accompanies and advises both established and emerging artists and provides impetus for the further development of artistic discourse. Her work as a juror and mentor demonstrates her deep interest in promoting and strengthening cultural diversity and artistic innovation in the field of new media. Overall, Erika Kassnel-Henneberg’s artistic work is characterized by a consistent, reflective, and multi-layered examination of the complex challenges and questions of our time. Overall, Erika Kassnel-Henneberg’s artistic work is characterized by a consistent, reflective, and multi-layered examination of the complex challenges and issues of our time. Her work invites us to reflect on the limits of humanity in an increasingly digital and networked world and opens up new perspectives on identity, memory, and social processes. By combining traditional and modern media, she creates an innovative, dynamic space in which artistic, technological, and social issues are creatively interwoven—a central concern for art in the 21st century, which increasingly sees itself as a critical medium for addressing digitalization. With her work, Erika Kassnel-Henneberg makes a significant contribution to the current debate on the role of humans and technology, the preservation of humanism, and artistic reflection on social upheaval. Her artistic vision opens up new horizons and shows ways in which art can offer orientation, raise questions, and accompany change in a complex world. With her interdisciplinary and cross-media practice, she exemplifies a contemporary art that is not only aesthetically impressive but, above all, socially relevant. Entity Body Simulation Boundaries
This endless loop references Avalon (from Gallo-Indo-Germanic abal = apple), the mythic island from pre-Christian lore once seen as a paradise.
In an undefined space and timeless state, we circle around two faceless avatars from changing perspectives. Who – or what – are they? Projections of real people, intelligent machines, or something in between? Can machines develop desires, dreams? A golden apple floats between them, its reflective surface expanding the real space. All their efforts revolve around the golden apple – and yet it remains out of reach.
Spatial installation, 76th Great Swabian Art Exhibition, Hall 1 – Room for Art in the Glaspalast, Augsburg, 2024
In this room installation, I bring together artefacts from the past that I have found in the cellar and in my memory: An art print that once hung above my parents’ marital bed, framed by a floral tabete; a stuffed animal head, a stylised sculpture of a deer, a television. A long corridor with no entrance or exit. They all find their place in a space that is both real and fictitious, but which we wander through again and again in time. Like prisoners of a time loop.
If you could define ‘oblivion’ or ‘eternity’ as a mathematical formulae – what would they be? Can an AI find a logical answer to this?
Probability of ‘forgetting’ (AI-generated)
Explanation of the variables:
P(F): Probability of forgetting. This lies between 0 and 1
M: Memory strength. It describes how well the information is anchored in the memory. A high value for M reduces the probability of forgetting.
R: Relevance. The more relevant information is, the more it is remembered and the less likely it is to be forgotten.
P: Perception. Describes the intensity with which the information is absorbed. A high intensity of perception reduces forgetting.
SM: Mental State. This value influences the ability to perceive and retain information. A high value means a stable mental state and reduces forgetting.
t: Time – Time. The probability of forgetting increases with increasing time.
Interpretation:
This formula is based on an exponential decay model, similar to the model of radioactive decay or other forms of memory loss over time. When memory strength, relevance, perception and psychological state are all high, the value in the exponent is very large, and P of F approaches 0, which means that the probability of forgetting is low. However, as time t increases, the exponent becomes smaller, bringing P(F) closer to 1 – forgetting becomes more likely.
Vernissage on November 3 at 7 p.m. in St. Konrad, Bärenstr. 22, 86156 Augsburg, Germany.
Finissage on December 3.
The apple was and is in many cultures of high symbolic power: Be it as a symbol for eternal youth, eternal life, for love, fertility, paradise and fall of man. In this videoinstallation we circle around a golden apple. We recognize familiar places in the Bärenkeller (a district of Augsburg) in the background and on its reflecting surface. Like foreign bodies, two-dimensional portraits of various people float in it. Who are these people? The holy family? Our neighbors? They never existed, but are outputs of an artificial intelligence. Is this paradise on earth?
Deep Paradise @ St.Konrad / Augsburg-Bärenkeller, 2023, video installation with sound, 6:07 min
The apple was and is highly symbolic in many cultures: be it as a symbol of eternal youth, eternal life, love, fertility, paradise and the fall of mankind.
In this installation, a golden apple floats in the air like a fixed star. Familiar places are reflected on its shiny surface (in the Bärenkeller district of Augsburg). How are people doing there and in the world?
In contrast, the two-dimensional portraits in this landscape appear strange. Who are these people? The Holy Family? Our neighbours? They never existed, but are the outputs of an artificial intelligence. We live in a time of upheaval. New technologies give us the feeling that we are increasingly losing control over truth and lies, over good and evil. Is this paradise on earth?
The apple hides a secret inside, because there is a small star made up of 5 seeds. It reminds us that our actions determine whether we come a little closer to “paradise on earth”.
The site-specific video installation refers to the real space: church, district, city… by showing it as a digital mirror image, which in turn is reflected by the shiny surface of the golden apple. A kind of visual recursion in which reality and fiction, analog and digital merge.
Suzanne is lured into a seductive virtual dream – guided by flashing buttons and a calming voice assistant promising relief from insomnia. Unbeknownst to her, she is part of a behavioral experiment designed to manipulate her actions through algorithmic control.
The film rejects traditional narrative in favor of a fragmented, immersive loop that mirrors the disorienting logic of digital platforms – addictive, cyclical, and subtly coercive.
Social networks now shape a global economy in which attention is the most valuable resource. What appears to be free access conceals a deeper cost: constant surveillance and behavioral conditioning by tech corporations using Attention Engineering – a system that combines persuasive design, gamification, and AI, grounded in psychology.
Rabbit Hole 4.0 explores the loss of personal agency in a world where algorithms anticipate needs before we are aware of them. It reflects on the illusion of choice, the commodification of behavior, and the quiet erosion of self-determination in an era of total digital recall.
At its core, the film poses a simple but urgent question: in a world shaped by invisible influences, do we still have control over ourselves?
