kennedy+swan is a Berlin-based artist duo of Bianca Kennedy and Swan Collective, founded in 2013. Their work explores the future of non-human intelligence and its impact on plants, animals, machines, and humans.
The exhibition "The Red Queen Effect" by kennedy+swan addresses the complex entanglements between artificial intelligence (AI) and medicine. Through a new film installation and watercolor works, developed in close exchange with BIFOLD researchers, the duo explores topics like data-driven diagnostics, digital medicine’s ethical implications, and the societal consequences of AI in healthcare. The title refers to the “Red Queen Effect” from evolutionary biology—adaptation as a survival imperative—which kennedy+swan translate to the context of medical innovation. Their artworks reveal both risks (such as algorithmic data bias and exclusion of marginalized groups) and potentials of AI: from the tendency of systems to provide plausible diagnoses rather than admit uncertainty, to the risks of diagnostic errors due to unbalanced datasets. The exhibition immerses visitors in an environment inspired by clinical and surreal motifs, reflecting on the desires for extended life and the loss of self-determination through technological infrastructures and profit-driven healthcare developments.
Accompanying events include artist talks, lectures, and panel discussions as part of Berlin Art Week and Berlin Science Week.
The Schering Stiftung, founded in 2002, is dedicated to promoting science and culture, with a special emphasis on the life sciences and contemporary art. The foundation focuses particularly on interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of science and art. In addition to its own initiatives, the Schering Stiftung supports educational and cultural projects for children and young people, fostering creativity and scientific curiosity in future generations.
