The Case
The AI curation tool itself was built by our digital counterpart, but the project needed a face, a voice, and a visual world that could live on gallery walls, on a landing page, and in press materials. By diving deep into the research that drove the AI (interviews with curators, weighted scoring systems, and philosophical questions about the role of machines in art) we created Ex-machina, the brand.
Ex Machina
Today, Ex Machina stands as a testament to what happens when sixtynine.agency and sixtynine.digital collaborate. One side built the intelligence; we gave it an identity. The project demonstrates how research and technology become more powerful when wrapped in purposeful design - and how branding can turn a technical experiment into a cultural conversation.
Concept exploration
Before arriving at Ex Machina, we explored three distinct concept directions, each offering a different lens on the same research.
Concept 1: [Ph][Ai]
Inspired by the periodic table of elements, this direction treated photography and artificial intelligence as elemental building blocks. [Ph] for Photography, [Ai] for Artificial Intelligence: a scientific, analytical framework that emphasised the research methodology behind the tool.
Concept 2: The Artificial Curator
A more direct, accessible approach. This direction put the central question front and centre: "Can AI help curators?" The name immediately communicates what the project is about, lowering the barrier for a broad festival audience. Leaning into an editorial typography and a journalistic tone, it framed the project as an open inquiry rather than a statement.
Concept 3: Ex Machina
The chosen direction. Named after 'Deus Ex Machina', the ancient dramatic device where an unexpected force resolves an impossible situation. This narrative tension between human and machine became the foundation for every creative decision. Where [Ph][Ai] was analytical and The Artificial Curator was editorial, Ex Machina is provocative.
Brand story and messaging
The brand story needed to hold space for both utopian possibility and dystopian concern, without choosing sides.
What we did:
Developed a conceptual framework rooted in the project's research: man vs. machine, ethics vs. aesthetics, tool vs. takeover
Crafted a brand story that positions Ex Machina as a provocation, not an answer
Created the project's baseline and key messaging: "A research experiment that aims to catalyse the discussion on the role of the (photo) curator with the emergence of AI"
Defined tone of voice keywords: polarising, dramatic, disruptive, thought-provoking
Wrote press release copy and landing page content that translates complex AI methodology into accessible narrative
Visual Identity
The brand needed to feel like an experiment, raw, questioning, and slightly unsettling, while remaining visually compelling in a festival context alongside established photographers and curators. The identity had to communicate both the precision of machine learning and the subjectivity of human curation.
What we did:
Designed a visual identity system that captures the tension between algorithmic logic and artistic intuition
Created a design language that references both data processing and curatorial aesthetics
Developed a flexible identity system adaptable across exhibition materials, digital platforms, and print
Produced the project's landing page design connecting visitors to the research, the exhibition, and the broader discussion
Research-driven brand DNA
What makes this case unique is that the brand was born directly from the research itself. Rather than layering branding on top of a finished product, we worked from the same source material as the AI tool: curator interviews that revealed how experts evaluate photography across ethical, conceptual, thematic, artistic, and visual dimensions. These ten criteria didn't just power the algorithm: they informed the brand's visual hierarchy, messaging structure, and conceptual framework.
What we did:
Analysed curator interview transcripts and the comprehensive grading system to extract branding insights
Translated the ten evaluative criteria (thematic relevance, visual impact, narrative strength, originality, intentionality, technical appropriateness, context, cohesion, potential, and diversity) into brand design principles
Used the theme "Shared/Connected" as a lens for both the exhibition content and the brand's engagement strategy
Connected the brand narrative to Rotterdam Photo's broader discourse on digital natives, commonism, and the neo-existential movement in photography
Landing page
We designed a dedicated landing page for Ex Machina, hosted on sixtynine.digital. The page introduces the project's concept, explains the research methodology, and provides context on the name's origin. Beyond being informational, the page features an interactive element: visitors can vote on the central question "Will AI replace the curator?" and leave comments, turning the landing page into a live extension of the debate the project was designed to spark.
Exhibition and container design
Ex Machina was exhibited inside a repurposed shipping container at Rotterdam Photo 2025, an industrial setting that matched the nature of the project.
What we did:
Designed the interior layout of the exhibition container, creating a visitor flow that builds from question to confrontation with the AI-curated selection
Developed environmental branding for the container exterior and interior
Produced exhibition materials including signage and contextual information panels
Created a physical space where the debate around AI curation becomes tangible.
Results and Impact
Exhibited at Rotterdam Photo 2025, one of the Netherlands' leading photography festivals
10,500 images processed through the AI curator, 20 selected for exhibition
Complete brand identity delivered: from concept and visual identity to web, press materials, and exhibition collateral
Research-to-brand pipeline established as a replicable methodology for future sixtynine.digital projects
Beyond the exhibition itself, Ex Machina demonstrates that AI and branding aren't opposing forces but collaborators. By treating research as creative source material, we delivered a brand that doesn't just describe a technical experiment, but invites audiences into the conversation it was designed to spark.