Case Lab: Comparative Image Collection Analysis with AI

• Tuesday 20 May, 13.00-14.30
• Langelandsgade 139, 8000 Aarhus C. Bld. 1580, room 249

In this case lab Rune Clark presents the use of AI in his ongoing PhD project that investigates visual educational materials across different cultural heritage collections. As part of its methodological approach, the project uses pretrained neural networks and integrated digital tools like PixPlot and Collection Space Navigator to support the comparative analysis of large image corpora.

Combining datasets from institutions such as 50 museums and the Royal Danish Library reveals the challenges of working with different metadata standards, registration practices, and digitization formats. While these differences complicate comparative research, the project explores how focusing on the image data itself — rather than metadata — can create new points of connection across collections. Visual similarity becomes a potential bridge between otherwise incompatible datasets.

The session will showcase the process of setting up workflows for visual comparison and we discuss the methodological questions that arise when AI tools are integrated into, and affect, collection-based research.

All are welcome – we have coffee/tea and sweets.

Organized by AIIM – Centre for Aesthetics of AI Images. Contact: Lotte Philipsen, lottephilipsen@cc.au.dk