What does it mean to be human in the face of new technology?
Go on a mind-bending exploration where identity and authenticity are challenged, redefined, and pushed to their limits.

Proof of Personhood: Identity and Authenticity in the Face of Artificial Intelligence explores the unstable relationship between identity, agency and authenticity in popular culture and emerging technology.

Art is assumed to be a fundamentally human undertaking, but with the introduction of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, this assumption is being questioned. As humans, we tend to project our own image, physiology and psychology onto technological systems in an attempt to better understand them, a process which often reproduces societal biases. The featured artworks expand the genre of portraiture, depicting human and non-human subjects to investigate the nature of personhood in the 21st century. In the process, they highlight the shifting conception of who—or what—is considered human.

In an era dominated by social media and digital tools for self-presentation, authenticity is a valuable commodity. As the same techniques for performing an authentic personality are employed by celebrities, everyday social media users and bots, Proof of Personhood asks: What does it mean to be “real”?

Olafur Eliasson, Symbiotic seeing, 2020, Installation view: Kunsthaus Zürich, 2020, Photo: Franca Candrian
Courtesy of the artist; neugerriemschneider, Berlin; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles
© 2020 Olafur Eliasson

About the artist

The works of artist Olafur Eliasson (IS/DK b. 1967) explore the relevance of art in the world at large. Since 1997, his wide-ranging solo shows – featuring installations, paintings, sculptures, photography, and film – have appeared in major museums around the globe. In 2003, he represented Denmark at the 50th Venice Biennale, and later that year he installed The weather project at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, London. Eliasson’s projects in public space include The New York City Waterfalls, 2008; Fjordenhus, Vejle, 2018; and Ice Watch, 2014. In 2012, Eliasson founded the social business Little Sun, and in 2014, he and Sebastian Behmann founded Studio Other Spaces, an office for art and architecture. In 2019, Eliasson was named UNDP Goodwill Ambassador for climate action. In 2023, Eliasson received the Praemium Imperiale for outstanding contributions to the development, promotion, and progress of the arts from the Japanese Imperial Family. 

Located in Berlin, Studio Olafur Eliasson comprises a large team of craftspeople, architects, archivists, researchers, administrators, cooks, art historians, and specialized technicians.  

Find out more at olafureliasson.net

About the artist

The works of artist Olafur Eliasson (IS/DK b. 1967) explore the relevance of art in the world at large. Since 1997, his wide-ranging solo shows – featuring installations, paintings, sculptures, photography, and film – have appeared in major museums around the globe. In 2003, he represented Denmark at the 50th Venice Biennale, and later that year he installed The weather project at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, London. Eliasson’s projects in public space include The New York City Waterfalls, 2008; Fjordenhus, Vejle, 2018; and Ice Watch, 2014. In 2012, Eliasson founded the social business Little Sun, and in 2014, he and Sebastian Behmann founded Studio Other Spaces, an office for art and architecture. In 2019, Eliasson was named UNDP Goodwill Ambassador for climate action. In 2023, Eliasson received the Praemium Imperiale for outstanding contributions to the development, promotion, and progress of the arts from the Japanese Imperial Family. 

Located in Berlin, Studio Olafur Eliasson comprises a large team of craftspeople, architects, archivists, researchers, administrators, cooks, art historians, and specialized technicians.  

Find out more at olafureliasson.net

Notable works

Associated Programmes

STICK WITH SAM
Bring home an exclusive colouring sticker sheet inspired by the ferries and the surrounding nature.
*Available from 12 January onwards, while stocks last.

CURATOR TOUR
Discover more about the exhibition through a guided tour led by SAM curator Selene Yap on the following dates:
• Sun, 21 Jan 2024 | 3pm
• Sat, 9 Mar 2024 |  4pm (cancelled)
• Sat, 6 Apr 2024* |  4.30pm  
*Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) interpretation will be provided. 

Scroll down for more exhibition-related programmes!

Guides and resources

Exhibition collectibles

Treat yourself or find the perfect thoughtful gifts this holiday season with the collectibles inspired by the exhibition.

Snag these tote bags and iron-on patches from the vending machine on Level 1 of SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Hurry, while stocks last! (Patches and tote bags are sold separately.)

Related information

4x4—Episodes of Singapore Art as part of Ho Tzu Nyen: Time & the Tiger
28 Feb to 14 Apr 2024 | Woodlands Regional Library
17 Apr to 2 Jun 2024 | Jurong Regional Library

Ho Tzu Nyen’s 4x4—Episodes of Singapore Art (2005) is an attempt to re-present four works of art by four Singaporean artists, done through three different platforms: a forum discussion; a foldable postcard cube for distribution; and a television series, which was aired on Singapore’s Arts Central channel. This project grew out of the artist’s desire to address two cultural deficits in Singapore: the missing public of visual arts; and the absence of historical memory. The television series straddles video art, mass media intervention, cultural sleuthing, polemics and pedagogy. Set as dialectic arguments between a man and a woman, the programme attempts to popularise techniques of visual analysis and art historical interpretation. 

Guides and resources