Showcased within the digital sector of the Paris Photo 2023 art fair, NGUYEN WAHED presents In Conversation With, a group exhibition that traces the evolution of generative art and various photographic techniques over time. Spanning various algorithmic generative practices, including works created through machine-learning technologies, and translated into digital art and photography, the exhibition aims to showcase the relationship between generative art, analogue art, photography, and the beauty of combining these art forms.

In Conversation With presents a curated selection of hardware and software-based works; generative algorithmic plotter drawings, plotter luminograms, chronophotography, AI-based cyanotypes, and cameraless photography. Illustrating the mechanical craftsmanship involved in both generative art and various forms of photography, the show features works by Manfred Mohr, Matt DesLauriers, Marcel Schwittlick, 0xDeafbeef, Mario Klingemann, and Sofia Crespo in collaboration with Anna Ridler.

The exhibition celebrates leading contemporary artists, as well as paying homage to the pioneers of generative art, including Manfred Mohr and Mario Klingemann. Manfred Mohr's exploration of computer-generated art took root in the 1960s, initiated by his letter to the French Ministry of Transport to secure access to the computer centre of the Météorologie Nationale in Paris.

DesLauriers and Schwittlick’s respective plotter drawings and plotter luminograms illustrate the differences, similarities, and relationship between these techniques.

Crespo and Ridler’s works are a collaboration that exemplifies the dynamic relationship between artificial intelligence and human creativity, transcending conventional digital artistic practice, and exploring what goes beyond traditional cyanotype. Klingemann's series is based on the concept of ‘Neurography’, which encapsulates his innovative approach of engaging with neural networks, and intricate machine learning algorithms. Through this method, he pioneers a unique form of 'cameraless photography', training his neural networks on diverse source materials, including photographs of bodies. By employing generative adversarial networks (GAN), he is effectively blurring the boundary between human perception and computer-generated art.

Curated by NGUYEN WAHED with selected works in collaboration with DAM Gallery (Berlin) and Galerie Charlot (Paris), In Conversation With explores the evolution of generative art and its interplay with photography, showcasing a diverse array of artistic practices, and an enduring relationship between art and technology.