AI is transforming how we approach images of the past and present. This workshop is dedicated to the subject of AI-supported object detection, image classification and iconographic analysis, with a focus on drawn, painted and printed content.
We invite proposals for contributions that draw on large- and small-scale datasets and explore the current possibilities and limitations of AI in this area. Potential topics include but are not limited to:
· How AI is currently employed in art historical research and writing to detect, classify and analyse artworks
· Challenges surrounding pretrained models (mostly trained on modern photographic material) and the creation of new training data and models
· Controlled vocabularies and their application in AI-based art historical research
· The development of AI tools specifically tailored to art history
· Ethical and legal considerations surrounding the use of AI in art historical research.
The event is jointly organised by Doris Gruber, head of the Art History Research Unit of the Institute for Habsburg and Balkan Studies (IHB), Maria Theisen, head of the Department for Paleography and Codicology of the Institute for Medieval Research (IMAFO), and the thematic platform Machine Learning (MLA2S) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, Austria.
Confirmed keynote speakers:
· Peter Bell (Marburg University)
· Etienne Posthumus (FIZ Karlsruhe) & Hans Brandhorst (Iconclass)
We address our call to all researchers and scientists, regardless of discipline and career stage. The presentation language is English. Please indicate whether you wish to present a 20-minute talk or a poster. For either format, please upload a proposal (approximately 300 words) and a short CV (maximum 100 words) by 31.10.2025.
Participation is free of charge. The Austrian Academy of Sciences will provide accommodation for selected speakers. A limited number of travel grants will also be available.
Figure: Hieronymus Bosch, The Tree-Man, detail, ca. 1500, Albertina, Vienna.
