Official Launch of the ARTIFACT Project:

Visual Arts Meet Artificial Intelligence in Rome

Public event with artists and European partners — 22 May 2026

Association for Contemporary Art X-OP from Maribor is the Slovenian project partner.

On 21 May, Rome hosted the official launch of ARTIFACT (Artificial Intelligence for Artistic Futures and Creative Talents), an innovative European initiative dedicated to placing visual artists at the centre of the debate on artificial intelligence.

Co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe Programme and coordinated by Mazzini Lab SRL Benefit (Italy) – Slovenian partner is the Association for Contemporary Art X-OP – the project aims to equip artists with skills, practical tools, and guidelines to consciously adopt emerging technologies, while safeguarding artistic originality and creative rights.

The Launch Event

The launch event, open to the public, brought together artists, cultural professionals, stakeholders, and international partners in Rome. It represents a unique opportunity to meet creators who are exploring artificial intelligence as a creative medium and to experience their experimental works.

During the event, participants will have the opportunity to:

• Meet artists experimenting with artificial intelligence as a new expressive medium

• Discover new forms of artistic expression shaped by emerging technologies

• Engage with innovative projects developed through AI

• Connect with project partners and international collaborators

• Explore European initiatives at the intersection of art and technology

“Creativity is a distinctly human trait which, when combined with artificial intelligence, can travel into unexplored territories. With ARTIFACT, we want artists to lead the narrative in shaping new ways of creating and experiencing art.” — Francesca Peyron, Project Manager, ARTIFACT

Key Actions Over the Next 30 Months

Over the next 30 months, ARTIFACT will translate theory into concrete results through:

• Collaborative learning labs: co-design workshops and study visits

• Online training pathways and international artistic residencies in Slovenia

• Five AI-integrated artistic pilot projects across Europe

• Advocacy activities culminating in a position paper with policy recommendations for EU decision-makers

About ARTIFACT

ARTIFACT (Artificial Intelligence for Artistic Futures and Creative Talents) is a European project co-funded by the EU Creative Europe Programme. Coordinated by Mazzini Lab SRL Benefit (Italy), it brings together partners from Austria (AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH), Slovenia (X-OP – Društvo za sodobno umetnost), and Ukraine (Perfect Art Group).

The 30-month project aims to strengthen the digital skills of visual artists, promote the conscious adoption of new technologies, and protect authorship and creative rights. ARTIFACT will deliver collaborative workshops, training programmes, artistic residencies, and five pilot projects across Europe, while also developing a transnational network dedicated to cultural policy advocacy.

Media Contact

Francesca Peyron – Project Manager, ARTIFACT

Email: francesca.peyron@mazzinilab.it

Website: www.artifact-project.eu

Artists’ Survey: www.artifact-project.eu/artifact-survey-artists

Slovenia

Email: info@x-op.eu

Website: www.x-op.eu

Disclaimer: The ARTIFACT project is funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe Programme. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.