“Ring of Fire (#1930s reloaded)”

Berlin-based German artist Boris Eldagsen (*1970) studied photography and visual arts at the Art Academy of Mainz, conceptual art and intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague and fine art the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication Hyderabad, India. In addition, he studied philosophy at the Universities of Cologne and Mainz.
Since 2000 his photomedia work has been shown internationally in institutions and festivals including Deichtorhallen Hamburg, CCP Melbourne, ACP Sydney, EMAF Osnabrück, Edinburgh Art Festival, FORMAT Festival Derby, Noorderlicht Groningen, Chobi Mela Dhaka, Singapore International Photography Festival, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Biennale Le Havre and Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth. Boris has been awarded at ‘Voies Off’ Arles and ‘FORMAT’ Festival Derby.
Since 2004, Boris has lectured at Victorian College of the Arts / University Melbourne, Photography Studies College Melbourne, Akademie für Bildende Künste Mainz and Hochschule Furtwangen and Filmakademie Ludwigsburg.
In addition, he has given workshops and presentations for over 30 universities and art schools worldwide.
He is an active member of the two oldest German photographer’s associations, DFA and DGPh. He is also a founding member of the AI working group of Deutscher Fotorat (“German Photo Council”), Germany’s umbrella organisation for over 30 photographer’s associations and institutions).
Since 2019 he works for Roger Ballen as a digital consultant.
Boris is one of the internationally acclaimed experts on AI-generated images and a regular guest at panel talks and events. His refusal of the Sony World Photo Awards in April 2023 kicked-off a global debate about the relationship between photography and AI-generated images (“promptography”). He was "The man who lifted the lid on Pandora’s box" (The Age) and his image “PSEUDOMNESIA | The Electrician” became “The picture that stopped the world” (The Guardian) and a symbol for a new aera.
Since 2023 his AI-generated work was shown by international galleries such as Ravestijn Gallery Amsterdam, SETAREH Gallery Berlin, Marion Gallery Panama, Palmer Gallery London, Hangar 7826 Montréal, Expanded-Art Berlin and in museums such as California Museum of Photography and BACC Bangkok.
It was also featured by photo and media art festivals such as Noorderlicht Groningen, AI Biennale Essen, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Jupiter Art Museum Shenzhen, Xishuangbanna Foto Festival, International Photography and Media Art Festival Kaunas, PHOTO 2024 Melbourne, ELEKTRA International Digital Art Biennial in Montréal.
Boris sees AI as a knowledge amplifier to create images that he could not produce with his previous means. Even though the tools have changed, the basic direction of his work has remained the same: using a psychological approach, he questions what it means to be human.
Boris lives and works in Berlin.