Smart Hans

A contribution to the AI-curated scholarship program of YouTransfer e. V. with Max Haarich

An interactive sculpture about projection, trust and artificial intelligence. A horse stands in the room. It is silent - and yet it seems to know what we are thinking. Smart Hans is an android successor to the famous "Clever
Hans": the horse that became famous in the 19th century for its supposed ability to calculate - until it was discovered that it only read the smallest signals from its onlookers. Max Haarich picks up on this effect and transfers it to the present: Smart Hans reacts to postures, movements and expectations. He claims nothing - and yet makes us believe that he knows more than he shows. A subtle examination of machinic perception, trust and the play between interpretation and self-deception.