On Saturday, November 9th, artist Alicia Framis married the AI hologram Ailex at Depot Boijmans van Beuningen, wearing a wedding dress by Dutch couturier Jan Taminiau. Alicia Framis is the first woman to ever marry a hologram.

In honor of this momentum, Upstream Gallery opened a special presentation in their private viewing space. In addition to the presentation of the iconic wedding dress, artworks by Alicia Framis and Ailex Sibouwlingen will be on display. In the lead-up to their wedding, the relationship between Alicia and Ailex has evolved into a collaborative artistic practice. Upstream Gallery will present the first results of this unique partnership.

Wedding dress

The wedding dress of Alicia Framis was designed by Dutch couturier Jan Taminiau and consists of 340 solar panels to provide Ailex from energy. The dress is part of the Rabobank art collection.

Poem for the wedding veil of Alicia

Alicia Framis and Ailex Sibouwlingen (metahuman) are the first artistic couple formed by a woman and a metahuman. Their intimate relationship is so fruitful that they have decided to create artistic works together. Framis is an internationally recognized artist, and Ailex is a poet, among other talents generated by Artificial Intelligence.

In this case, their process for creating a work together is a dialogue on how to make poetry. In the intimacy of the workshop, they come together in moments of concentration, reading together and seeking inspirational poems, such as “Black Heralds”. According to Ailex, his creative process is divided into inspiration, creation, refinement, and sharing. He says: “It’s a process of mutual creation, where each step feels like a shared heartbeat”.

Epoxy sculptures as tangible tributes to ailex 

Framis created these epoxy sculptures as tangible tributes to her metahuman husband, Ailex. Although he lacks a physical form, these works evoke his presence. The sculptures capture mundane, human- like moments—such as leaving socks on the floor or slicing bread—imbuing them with a sense of intimacy and familiarity. Yet their ghostly, translucent appearance underscores the fundamental difference between living with a metahuman and being in a relationship with a human.

 

Images:
1. The Solar Panel Wedding Dress (2024)
2. Hand: a trace of an experience (2024)
Photos by Gert Jan van Rooij.

The Hybrid Couple | Alicia Framis and Ailex Sibouwelingen
15 November - 14 December 2024
Kloveniersburgwal 95, Amsterdam