SPECIMENS OF CREATIVITY - THE MUSEUM OF DEAD PROFESSIONS

Monica Menez

The creative industry is at a turning point. Professions that were once considered irreplaceable – photographers, stylists, copywriters, or models – are disappearing or changing radically. But what remains of them? And what is emerging? 20 images and a short film explore exactly this question.

The protagonists are creatives who have become “specimens” – not as relics, but as witnesses of change. In animal-like costumes, they carry the tools of their former craft, a subtle reference to the extinction of species. Yet, these professions have not simply vanished – they are evolving. Augmented Reality brings them to life: The copywriter continues typing on their ideas, the model holds their pose, the photographer searches for the perfect moment.

There is no standstill – only change. The exhibition asks not only what is lost, but also what is emerging. Does AI signal the end of human creativity or its next step? These questions have been with me for a long time – and I know many in the industry feel the same way. That’s exactly why Ivonne Veith and I founded the collective @Synthetic Styles. Our goal is to inform, inspire, and show creative freelancers how AI can be used as a tool – not as a replacement, but as an expansion of their possibilities. Creativity has always been a process of change, and we want to be part of shaping that change.

Project Collaborators:
SYNTHETIC STYLES AI COLLECTIVE