Bygone Times in Real Time

On the occasion of the Fête des Vignerons that took place in Vevey in 2019, the EPFL+ECAL Lab joined forces with the Swiss Camera Museum, the Archives of the RTS Swiss broadcasting corporation, notreHistoire.ch and the Confrérie des Vignerons to offer an unparalleled exploration of the world of images linked to the festival.

The Fête des Vignerons is a unique festival that takes place in the town of Vevey on the shores of Lac Léman. Celebrating the region’s rich wine culture, the event has a history dating back to 1797. Yet taking place only every 20 years, the festival becomes an icon of its era and a landmark in the town’s memory.

With a digital archive of images, videos and documents spanning over 200 years, a consortium got together to find out how to bring this history to life for the 2019 edition. What also could AI bring to this experience and how could it be linked to the contemporary experience of the festival?

As you enter the exhibition space, the installation challenges certainties. The images found on social networks take on a material dimension.

Placed on an illuminated plate, these cards trigger a collection of archival images on an immersive screen allowing visitors to explore the history of the festival from today, back to its origins in 1797.

The selection of documents presented from different sources is based on AI algorithms that, instead of restricting the results to users’ expectations, foster connections between past and present. What the machine recognises, and how they are associated, are revealed through graphic techniques in order to make the workings of the algorithm transparent to visitors.

While the installation demonstrates how to enhance the cultural wealth tucked away in huge man-made databases, the research results are also part of a broader project exploring our perception and trust in AI.