Soft Photography

Soft Photography is a research project conducted by the Master of Photography at ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne with the support of the HES-SO. It aims to shed light on the role of human emotions in the creation and reception of images produced using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or computer-generated imagery (CGI).

Research project (2025) with Salomé Chatriot, Charlie Engman, Simon Lehner Milo Keller, Marco De Mutiis, Claus Gunti, Clément Lambelet, Giulia Bini, Simone Niquille

Assistants: Tanguy Morvan, Fabienne Watzke
Researchers: Ann-Christin Bertrand, Paolo Cirio, Kim Knoppers, Taisuke Koyama, Clothilde Morette
Know-how: Portrait, Machine learning (ML, AI)

Carried out from September 2025 to Spring 2026, this research aims to examine an unthought-of aspect of generative AI and CGI: the significance of human emotions, both in the creation of these tools (database annotation, software programming, cultural bias) and in the perception of the produced images (empathy, visual culture, subconsciousness) or their uses (capitalism of emotion, soft power, self-representation, political propaganda). The discussion and research surrounding the exponential development of AI technologies in visual culture often overlook this emotional component, even though it is structurally linked to these technologies, as they necessarily involve human apprehension. Unlike automated images, which frequently have an operational function and are only ‘seen’ by machines, images generated by AI and CGI are essentially created for humans, whether for social networks, advertising, industry, politics, or the artistic field.

Soft Photography aims to examine the role and function of emotions by analyzing these new photographic tools and looking at specific occurrences, such as memories reconstructed in CGI or AI. Far from strictly formal experimentation, these practices demonstrate the complex entanglement between emotion, subjectivity, technical processes, and vulnerability. The project, therefore, aims to map, analyze, and experiment with the place of emotions within these new practices.

Image: Clean Girl, ECAL/Mirielle Rohr, 2025

2526_S3_MAP2_Hampe_Elisa_SOFTPHOTOGRAPHY_MarcoDeMutiis_01.jpg — ECAL/Elisa Hampe, 2025

Blind cats, ECAL/ Visvaldas Morkevicius, 2025

A song from void, ECAL/Eriko Miyata, 2025

STILL_2026_S3_MAP2_Andrey-Lopatin_Marco-De-Mutiis_Soft-Photography04.jpeg — Worms, ECAL/Andrey Lopatin, 2025

replicate-prediction-v7r3tew74drmc0ckttwv7wv3c8-topaz-upscale-4x.jpg — Rate My Cake, ECAL/Min Dai, 2025

Project leader: Milo Keller
Research team: Giulia Bini
Marco de Mutiis
Claus Gunti
Milo Keller
Clément Lambelet
Lecturers: Salomé Chatriot
Charlie Engman
Simon Lehner
Contributors: Ann-Christin Bertrand
Simone C Niquille
Paolo Cirio
Kim Knoppers
Taisuke Koyama
Clothilde Morette
Assistants: Tanguy Morvan
Fabienne Watzke
Students: Riccardo Androni, IT
Elisa Azevedo, PT
Eva Bao Rivas, IT
Francesca Bergamini, IT
Min Dai, CN
Alix Debraine, CH
Lóa Fenzy, IS
Xiao Fu, CN
Nabarun Gogoi, IN
Elisa Hampe, IT
Doyoung Kim, KR
Binyu Lin, CN
Zhiyue Liu, CN
Andrey Lopatin, RU
Thomas Martin, UK
Jose Martinez Martin, MX
Daniel Martínez, ES
Eriko Miyata, JP
Visvaldas Morkevicius, LT
Gaia Pierobon, IT
Luna Pons, FR
Mirielle Rohr, DE
Clara Stote, BE
Julieta Tarraubella, AR
Period: September 2024 – Spring 2026
Supported by: HES-SO, Réseau de Compétences Design et Arts Visuels RCDAV

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