Quantum Crossing
Quantum Crossing is an artistic research project that explores how simulation-based artworks can critically engage with the emerging field of artificial consciousness. It develops virtual, interactive artworks - often using AI agents - that behave as if they are conscious, while also manipulating the participant’s own experience of
perception and awareness. The project does not aim to build conscious machines, but instead creates situations in which the appearance of consciousness becomes ethically and aesthetically charged. Alongside
this experiential dimension, Quantum Crossing takes a critical stance toward the broader sociotechnical
landscape of AI, addressing issues such as the opacity of training data, the narratives promoted by big tech,
and corporate control. By integrating artistic creation with conceptual modelling, the project contributes to
defining ‘simulation arts’ as a distinct field - one in which meaning emerges from interaction, causality, and
feedback rather than from static representation. Quantum Crossing positions itself as a space for cultural reflection at the intersection of technology, consciousness, and critique.
Results
1. Four interactive prototypes, including a final artwork: The core output is a simulation-based
artwork that explores artificial consciousness through self-modelling AI agents, generative behaviour,
and immersive interaction. A new prototype will be developed every six months. Each version adopts
a deliberately minimalist approach in terms of technical complexity and aesthetics. This minimalism is
strategic on multiple levels: it enables rapid prototyping, foregrounds consciousness-related
phenomena over visual noise, and takes an explicit aesthetic stance against the baroque
photorealism dominating contemporary virtual experiences. Like early computer games, it strips away visual complexity to reveal fundamental interactions. The fourth prototype is intended as the final
artwork of the two-year cycle. It will serve both as a critical artistic work and a research instrument,
enabling experiential engagement with ideas such as autonomy, awareness, and system feedback.
Further development may follow, depending on additional funding.
2. Collaborative network: A transdisciplinary network of local and European partners in art, science, and technology, with active involvement from simulation developers, AI researchers, and cultural institutions. This network will support the development, testing, and public presentation of the work.
3. Research publications: At least one peer-reviewed publication that reflects on the project’s artistic
methodology, conceptual foundations, and broader implications. This may include a state-of-the-art
review of artificial consciousness in relation to simulation arts, submitted to a transdisciplinary journal or book volume. These journals are currently considered: Leonardo (MIT), Journal for Artistic
Research (JAR), Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research, AI & Society.
4. Public presentations: Talks, demos, and moderated conversations aimed at both academic and non-academic audiences, including the Academy community and the wider public. These will be organised in collaboration with cultural partners and designed to foster critical dialogue about AI, ethics, and artistic practice.
