Chester Photo Festival Symposium

Keynote: Professor Victor Burgin

What is an author? The artist in the age of AI.

On Thursday 16th April internationally acclaimed artist and writer Professor Victor Burgin will give an illustrated talk alongside a screening of Adaptation (12 mins 32 secs). The talk will be followed by a seminar event in Storyhouse at 2.30 pm (this event is limited to 20 participants by invitation only).

Victor Burgin is an artist and writer. The most recent solo exhibition of his still and moving image work – Ça – took place at the Jeu de Paume, Paris, in 2024. His most recent books, Formes d’idéologie : écrits sur l’image (Milan, Mimesis), and Returning to Benjamin – Art in the Age of AI (London, MACK) were published in 2025. Burgin is Professor Emeritus of History of Consciousness, University of California, Santa Cruz; Emeritus Millard Chair of Fine Art, Goldsmiths College, University of London; and Professor of Visual Culture, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton.

The Chester Photo Festival Symposium has been organised by Dr Cian Quayle (BA Photography Course Leader, University of Chester) and Dr Alexandru Modoi (Chester Photo Festival). The festival continues at the University of Chester on Friday and Saturday with a programme of 14 speakers across both days.