Wolfgang Hauck has chosen an innovative approach for the history exhibition “The Labyrinth – 100 Years of Hitler’s Detention”.
He visualizes the impressions of the years 1919 to 1924 by combining his own sketches, original documents and photographs with artificial intelligence (AI).
In doing so, he consciously draws on the style of great artists such as George Grosz, Käthe Kollwitz and Otto Dix and uses their style as an artistic quotation and homage to convey a critical, moral view of the time.

Artistic approach and the use of AI

Wolfgang Hauck has been working with digital technology for over 30 years, from photo design and panorama installations, and uses electronic tools for painting and graphics.
For him, AI is a powerful tool for visualizing historical events and moods of the Weimar Republic.
“The period from 1919 to 1924 was a phase of profound political, social and economic upheaval,” explains Hauck.
“I wanted to capture this intensity not only through the motifs, but also through the stylistic elements of the time.”

He uses sketches and historical documents, which he modifies and reworks with the help of AI.
These processes enable him to merge existing elements into new pictorial works.
The style of Grosz, Kollwitz and Dix, characterized by sharp social criticism and moral reflection, serves him as a guideline.
“With AI, I can more efficiently create new contexts from fragments without losing the essence of the era,” says Hauck.

The colorful and diverse mediation of time

A special feature of the exhibition is the contrast between the colorful, AI-supported images and the black and white photographs from the period.
The photographs often document the feeling of the early 1920s in a sober and objective manner.
Hauck’s works, on the other hand, add an emotional and expressive dimension to the depiction of history by taking up the aesthetics of Grosz, Kollwitz and Dix.

“I wanted to use the colors and formal language of these artists to create an alternative view of this time,” explains Hauck.
“The black and white photographs alone suggest a static image of this era. But by adopting the expressive style, I can portray the chaotic and often tragic circumstances in a more dynamic and emotional way.”

Moral and critical reflection: style as quotation

Hauck emphasizes that his use of the style of Grosz, Kollwitz and Dix is not to be understood as a mere filter.
Rather, he sees it as a conscious decision to take up the spirit of their art and reinterpret it for the present day.
“These artists had a clear moral and socio-critical perspective,” he says.
“They saw their art as a means of drawing attention to grievances and holding up a mirror to people. I share this intention.”

By using their style as an “artistic quotation”, he recognizes the achievement of these personalities and underlines the timeless relevance of their messages.
“At a time when we are once again facing major social challenges, it is important to reflect critically on history and use artistic means to draw attention to it,” Hauck continues.

Technology and tradition in dialog

The use of AI in art triggers discussions about whether and how the machine creation of artworks devalues authenticity and the creative process.
Hauck sees this dilemma: “For me, AI is a tool, similar to other electronic tools or a digital paintbrush. It gives me new possibilities, but the creative process remains in my hands.”
His work, which is based on his own designs and inspired by the historical context and visual language of the 1920s, ensures that the human influence remains in the foreground.

Wolfgang Hauck: Human intervention as the key to AI-generated art

While Wolfgang Hauck highlights the use of AI to visualize the era from 1919 to 1924 in his exhibition, he also emphasizes that the creation of his own artworks goes far beyond the pure use of AI.
“AI offers powerful possibilities, but without human intervention it remains just a technical tool,” explains Hauck.
“It is the revisions, the creative decisions and the personal interventions that make a work unique. This is the only way to create an artistic work that goes beyond reproduction or construction.”

For Hauck, this aspect of human control over the creative process is crucial, just as it is enshrined in the new EU law on artificial intelligence (AI Regulation).
For him, AI is an addition to his artistic work.
“AI provides the raw material, like the colors and the painting ground used to, but it is my ‘being at work’ that completes a work and gives it meaning,” says Hauck.

Challenges of the future and mandatory labeling

Hauck also recognizes the challenges posed by the growing use of AI in art and other areas.
“We are at a point where society needs to be clear about how it deals with AI-generated content,” he says.
“This concerns not only the legal framework, but also the question of how we distinguish between human and machine creation.”

To create transparency, Hauck has introduced clear labeling of his works.
In addition to the traditional copyright symbol, he adds a specially designed symbol for “AI” (Artificial Intelligence) to each of his works.
This symbol is intended to indicate that AI technology has played a role in the creation of the work.
“It is important to me to make this distinction clear. The AI is a tool, but the artistic control is in my hands,” explains Hauck.

With this double labeling of his works, he sets an example for the responsible use of AI in art and offers an approach for future discussions on how machine and human creativity can coexist.
“The future will show how far society is prepared to accept AI as part of the creative process and what standards we set for it,” summarizes Hauck.