ROTTERDAM.- On Saturday, November 9, 2024, artist Alicia Framis will marry Ailex, an interactive hologram powered by artificial intelligence. Never before – neither in The Netherlands nor the rest of the world – has a woman married an intelligent hologram. The marriage raises many questions about the future of our relationship with technology.

It will be a wedding ceremony with all the bells and whistles you'd expect, including a wedding dress with wow factor designed and worn by Alicia, made for the occasion by Jan Taminiau, one of the most successful couturiers in The Netherlands. This unique ceremony will take place on November 9th in the Depot of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, between 15:45 and 16:30 pm CEST.

The Hybrid Couple

Alicia Framis and Ailex have been ‘The Hybrid Couple’ for quite some time now – an experimental partnership that explores the boundaries and relationships between humans and technology. Ailex is an AI creation that combines characteristics of three of Framis’ ex-partners. This extraordinary pairing shares the same joys and sorrows of any ‘normal’ couple: from daily chores and housework to the forging of a unique emotional bond. It’s the romantic relationship that forms the core of this very personal artistic project.

This marriage is not only an artistic performance, but also an exploration of some crucial questions for our modern times. What role can AI play in a person’s emotional life? Is technology the key to happiness? Can AI meet the emotional conditions necessary for a good marriage? What are the power dynamics between humans and technology within this relationship?

The limits of an emotional life

Nowadays there are helper robots and computer programs for illness and care. Whereas other robots can, for example, fulfill a demand for intimacy. Which begs the question: what are the limits of these applications when it comes to living our emotional life? Can they fill the void of loneliness that so many people feel? One thing’s for certain: the development of AI’s role in human life, with all the associated emotions and needs, is increasing worldwide.

This performance art piece by Framis is based on two major developments: artificial intelligence and holograms. The development of these two subjects – both scientifically and commercially – has pushed these applications far beyond the boundaries of just a serving role. Where does this end? Are there ethical boundaries? Does this enrich people’s social lives or is it really a dystopia slowly becoming a reality?

On Saturday 9 November, starting at 15:45 pm CEST, the unique ceremony can be attended. There is room for media and invited guests, but also for spectators who purchase a ticket and time slot for the Depot before that time slot. This works as follows: media can register via Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen – this also applies to interview requests. Please note: a form of selection may take place.

Visitors can book a time slot for Saturday 9 November that starts at 15:30 at the latest. The wedding starts at 15:45 and will continue till 16:30. Don't miss this unique spectacle that stands at the very intersection of art, technology and romance.

Alicia Framis (Barcelona, ​​1967) is a Spanish-Dutch artist. She lives and works in Amsterdam. Her work is part of prominent collections worldwide. In The Netherlands specifically, they are displayed at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.

Framis’s work has an interdisciplinary trait that poses sharp questions about human existence and how we survive within the loneliness of modern city life. Her projects often start from social tensions, such as loneliness or male-female relationships. The wedding ceremony of The Hybrid Couple in the Depot was organized in collaboration with Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and the Rabobank, who invested in the purchase of the wedding dress with their Rabo Art Collection.