Name: Performance: Starmirror Ensemble supported by Byrdland
Start: 2026-01-18T16:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-01-18T17:00:00+01:00
Location: Auguststraße 69, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Performance: Starmirror Ensemble supported by Byrdland

Starmirror ensemble: Sara Gouzy, Marina Kerdraon-Dammekens, Andria Prokopa
On several Sundays throughout the exhibition Starmirror by Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst, participants are invited into a live process of AI training, as the hall of KW transforms into a recording studio where local choirs, an ensembles, and visitors contribute their voices in call-and-response sessions.
During these sessions, participants are asked to sing hymns from Herndon’s and Dryhurst’s newly created songbook, generated by a model trained on Ordo Virtutum (1151)—a morality play by Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179), the German Benedictine abbess and polymath, in which a soul must choose between good and evil. The artists took inspiration from Hildegard von Bingen, seeing analogies between her visions of a celestial order between humans and the cosmos, and the protocols shaping today’s cultural and technological infrastructures.
Each Sunday, a Berlin-based choir joins the ensemble for the call-and-response sessions, singing alongside visitors. To join the sessions, no prior knowledge or preparation are required, just openness and enthusiasm for collective singing. They are training performances, offering a direct, participatory experience with the human contributions that define AI.
The recordings of the sessions form the basis of a public choral dataset, which will train an AI “Berlin choir” to debut at Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (K21) in Düsseldorf.
The vocal ensemble Byrdland is an eight-member solo-voice ensemble from Berlin. The group combines the joy of exploring new horizons and emotions together with a lively dialogue with the audience. A special focus lies on the connection between Renaissance and contemporary vocal music, creating soundscapes that surprise and move – from Palestrina to pop, from Byrd to Birdland.
Usage Rights
By taking part in the Starmirror training performances, participants agree to the recording of their voices and grant the artists and KW Institute for Contemporary Art unlimited usage rights to the voice recordings they contribute.
This includes:
Record, store, and reproduce the recordings. Use the recordings for Artificial Intelligence (AI) training and modification. Present and distribute the recordings, both in their original form and as AI-generated works (e.g. choir songs). Make recordings and AI outputs publicly accessible, including online and for promotional purposes. Edit, adapt, or combine the recordings with other material as needed for the creation and presentation of the project. Recordings may also be released as part of the public domain.
Participation is voluntary and without financial compensation. Due to the large number of contributors, participants will not be individually credited in connection with the resulting works.
Information on Accessibility
Venue:
The event will take place in the exhibition rooms of KW (main hall). The exhibition rooms are accessible via stairs and an elevator. Please send us an e-mail in advance to [email protected] so that we can reserve the elevator for you.
Recording:
The event will be recorded in audio form.
Time:
Entrance starts at 4pm.
The event starts on time at 4pm.
The event might start with a delay.
Late entrance is possible.
The duration of the event is approximately 60 minutes.
The event is held without breaks.
Seating:
Seating (benches without backrests) will be provided.
Sensory stimuli:
The event tends to have a high volume.
The event is immersive.
The event takes place in a spacious room.
Event Type:
The event is planned as a relaxed performance. This means that the performance will take place in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. You are free to move around, leave and come back whenever you like.
Language:
The event will be mainly held in English.
There is no translation.
Assistance:
There is free admission for assisting persons.
Contact persons:
If you have any further questions regarding accessibility, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
If you have any questions on-site or need support, please approach the entrance staff.
If you have any questions on-site or need support, please approach the event facilitator(s).
Photo: Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst, Songbook with musical notes and scribbles on coding for AI model by the artists, 2025. © Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst.