Category: Artists

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Paris Room with a view

The home of Victor Hugo in Paris offers a splendid view of the Place des Vosges. The image taken from the 1st floor of the building and his living room allows to see a bit like what Hugo saw every day for some time. A small park, probably a lively street with arcades full of shops and people. Lots of inspiration and observation which may come from actual life. The actual time of writing, however, needs also retreat from the busy daily surroundings to focus one’s mind. All this hasn’t changed since Hugo lived in Paris at this address. Writer in residence programs of today allow authors to focus on their work beyond daily tasks. Cultural advances heavily rely on such programs nowadays to be able to have at least temporarily “A room with a view”. 

Hugo home Paris room view through window

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Fleeting memories

Our memory function is challenged once we travel. There are so many new impressions that ask for prime time in memory, but our capacities to safely store every detail of it is rather limited. On his voluntary travels, less when going into exile, Victor Hugo drew places with astonishing architectural detail and made literary descriptions on the back of the copy. The ruins of a gothic church in Bacharach (Germany) on the banks of the Rhine are a great example of his attempts to beat the fleeting memory. The ink and graphite pencil drawing date back to 1840. The imagery of the abandoned church, itself rich in memories of conflict by way of drawing details inscribes deeply into his own memory. A description in words on the back of this piece reinforces this effect beyond the mental exercise of precision versus dramatic blurriness. Repeating this exercise months later would reveal our fleeting memories when traveling. A great technique which is still valuable 186 years later. 

Church ruins at Bacharach by Victor Hugo 1840 exhibt at Maison de Victor Hugo Paris

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Hugo voyage

Victor Hugo traveled for inspiration to neighboring countries. He has been attracted to o mysterious places and its people. In his booklets of such inspirational journeys he drew images of several architecturally interesting places. “Burg” meaning castle was a recurrent subject trying to capture the mysteries about such medieval places and their surroundings. The rivers “Rhein”,”Nahe” and “Mosel” in Germany were a great source of inspiration for him. The images drawn of “Burg Eltz” as well as others (Andernach from 1840, image below left) testify to this. The Home of Victor Hugo in Paris, Place des Vosges features in 2026-8 his drawings which seem to have served him as studies in architecture and sometimes as idea of maybe a scenery for his theatre pieces. Of course, his drawings of cathedrals similar to “Notre Dame” in Paris are also among those ink sketches. To get scared a bit, traveling might suffice and then write it down and sketch it. Franco-German influences can be found in many European artists of the 19th century as well as today.  

Victor Hugo home in Paris exhibition on his drawings of architecture 2026-8

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Painter influencer

In modern terminology we could say Edgar Degas has been an influencer for many other painters, gallerists, art collectors and our way to look and interpret paintings or drawings. Max Liebermann wrote an appreciation of the work of Degas for a German audience in an attempt to bridge the gaps in the understanding of modern art between France and Germany towards the end of the 19th century. Cassirer as editors facilitated the publication and jointly they achieved to build a remarkable collection of impressionism before the atrocities of war took over in the first half of the 20th century. Fates can change quickly and painter influencer may become discredited due to more forceful political influences. (Image: Booklet by Max Liebermann 1898 on Degas in Cassirer exhibition in Berlin) 

Max Liebermann on Edgar Degas published by Cassirer

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Splendid networks

The art of gallerists is to blend networks. Some of them manage to create splendid networks that make history in the best sense of the words. The exhibition on the gallerist Cassirer made this argument in a forceful manner. He had a large network of persons interested in art and modern ideas as well as access to a network of artists who challenged the conventional arts of the time, later coined as the impressionists. The overlap of interests created a special market of art which met in his gallery in Berlin Tiergarten. Lots of take home lessons for us. 

Cassirer exhibition Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin 2026-8

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Park Impressions

Parks and gardens have been among the preferred items of impressionist painters. In Berlin it is possible to visit the Villa of Max Liebermann and the splendid garden next to the Wannsee. The 3 years Liebermann spent in Paris as well as his friendship with Cezanne “converted the young painter to impressionist’s painting style. The subjects of his paintings became similar as well. Splendid gardens and people working or going about their daily routine inspired him. The visits to the Netherlands (image below) inspired him to paint the joyful and relaxed atmosphere during summer. Sunlight and shadow outside an atelier became the fascinating moment he captured so well. Enjoy the summer and take a break. (Image: extract from Max Liebermann: Park in Laren).

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La gaya sienza

Nietzsche published his 1st version of “Die fröhliche Wissenschaft“ in1882. Ever since a controversy over the translation and interpretation of the title broke out. The publication in English referred to the title as “Joyful Wisdom”. A major question remains: is the opus a piece about science in the sense of philosophy, or less rigorous in method and therefore more a kind of general contribution to a perspective on wisdom? 12 x 12 years later of the 1st publication the “Motto” on the opening page should be taken more seriously. “Dem Dichter und Weisen sind alle Dinge befreundet und geweiht, alle Erlebnisse nützlich, alle Tage heilig, alle Menschen göttlich.“ Such a  radical Version of enlightenment as scientific method announced his attempts to demystify everything from religious beliefs to also science as well. The Motto of the 2nd edition in 1887 goes beyond the original one to include himself into this demystification. “Ich wohne in meinem eigenen Haus, Hab Niemanden nie nichts nachgemacht Und – lachte noch jeden Meister aus, Der nicht sich selbst ausgelacht. In a nutshell, mock yourself as much as you mock about anyone else. Can this science be science, intelligence, artificial intelligence or is this already the precursor of „super intelligence“ of the 21st century AI hype? 

Marc Bloch Library ENS Paris

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Healing in museum

The topic of healing has a long tradition in museums. For example, in the Paintings Gallery (Gemäldegalerie) in Berlin “The healing of Tobit” (1630) by a follower of Caravaggio depicts the healing of eyesight with the aid of angel Raphael (extract of image below). The Bode museum also in Berlin in the vicinity of the Charité hospital proposed workshops to test or experience the healing through meditation techniques in the museum sitting on cushions while focusing on a statue for a while. Guided mindfulness workshops or own meditation sessions could be held during the visit. Museums can work as healing places to calm anxiety or release from stress.

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Gone birding

Birding is fascinating science and hobby. The recent advances in bird song recognition allow to compare the sometimes complex melodies across species. The support by many citizen scientists who collect data on sound, images and environment, made it possible to identify 8 major types of sound snippets. These constitute the basis from which to study or imitate the major bird songs, if you like. The scientific paper by Bacquele et al. (2026) shows that in dense forests the songs are more complex, whereas in open space simple tunes allow to travel far across space. Mating potentials seem to play an interesting role as well. But birding does not stop there. The Brancusi exhibits in the „Neue Nationalgalerie“ in Berlin deal also with the fascination about birds by the artist (image below). We also find depictions of the „bird-man“ in mythology more than 3000 years before our time and ever since. Flying probably brings together our science and dreams about birds and mankind. Science fiction is full of examples of that kind.

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Exams time

From time to time its exams time. Students of all ages have to face juries or standardized exams. For the credibility and for the sake of transparency, exams of higher grades invite the public to participate in these academic and learning rituals. For profs it is a moment to demonstrate the standards against which accomplishments and yearly progress is assessed. The level of instruction  is, however, still difficult to assess as the prior level, the year or years before is of course a quite influential intervening factor. Recruit the best and you are likely to have the best results after year after as well. The clarity about what is going to be assessed at the end of a Masters degree is essential as various target professional activities might determine a student’s orientation and ambition. Music is a great case to study as many students go into teaching professions afterwards and only a few shall aim for stage performance level or orchestra positions. Even within music exams time is not only just about music. 

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Gardening culture

There is a specific set of skills attached to gardening culture. You do not have to travel continents to experience the pleasure of gardening from more than just your own culture. Beyond the tradition of the French garden “à la Le Nôtre”, the English garden including the short precisely trimmed lawn and blooming arrangements, the Japanese gardens have a wholistic approach, which pay attention to broader human experiences of nature. A garden is a kind of sanctuary. It resembles more an internal journey rather than a showing off to others. Walls serve to enhance privacy to be able to open-up again later to others rather than a symbol of distinction and exclusion from the less privileged. Small places suffice to give room to a Bonsai experience. The very busy seaside resorts and port of Ostend on the Belgian coast has reserved a small spot for inner peace in its Japanese garden. (Image: Japanese garden “Shin Kai Tei” in Ostend created by Takahashi Sawano) 

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Ensor Home

There are few artists who stayed in their home for almost all their life. James Ensor was a personality who was profoundly attached and continually attracted to his native city of Ostend. After a short and unsuccessful spell at the Brussels art academy, he returned to his parents’ home and due to a heritage from an uncle, he could live in a nearby house, which also served him as his atelier. Although I did not come across documents that showed he had traveled a lot, nowadays his art work is spread across the globe. The seaside resort of Ostend was a real tourist destination and, therefore, many famous people of the 1st half of the century passed by and met with Ensor there. Not only fellow artists, but also scientists like Albert Einstein. Critical minds and people searching beyond the trodden paths must have been attracted to him, a personality who dared to challenge conventional painting and techniques of his time. A reconstruction of his atelier and several animations give a lively modern touch to his work and living style. My take home message from the Ensor Home: The search for inspiration might be just around the corner. 

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Autonomous Agents

We all have seen more or less autonomous robots somewhere, maybe in a garden silently doing its job or doing more demanding tasks like in playing table tennis against a human. Even the evolution of polluting fireworks to swarms of little light-emitting drones designing figures on the sky have become quite popular. The AI-world is similarly advancing rapidly and proposes more and more “autonomous agents” to assist us. It seems crucial to distinguish the 2 Ds of autonomous agents: Degrees and Dimensions. As with job quality or job satisfaction, there are several sub-dimensions, which need to be considered when dealing, in a summarizing form, with such encompassing terms.
You might allow an agent to order missing food for a meal and pay for this autonomously. You might even be assisted in financial choices to a large degree, but you might not want an autonomous agent to make far reaching decisions concerning your health or partnership(s). Besides such dimensions, the degree of autonomous decision-making needs to be calibrated according to your (perhaps changing) preferences. Booking a table in a restaurant, with a single other person, might not just be a friendly, nice assistance, but it might get you into severe trouble. However, managing conference bookings, a family event or a birthday party might allow you to concentrate on other issues or specific details. Additionally, there are underlying and cross-cutting topics like trust, risks and security that enter the “2 Ds of autonomous agents”. A 2-dimensional matrix plotting levels across dimensions might work as a behavioral guideline in the development of autonomous agents. More dimensions may be added during the implementation.

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Autonomy in literature

As we might imagine, autonomy has been and is a huge topic in literature. From the foundations of democracy to the autonomous state building, historical accounts are full of treaties on autonomy. Literature has taken similar steps by asking can we really be autonomous in our decision-making as we are social beings embedded into varieties of Throne, families and networks. There are ever larger parts that we are conscious about, but the realm of unconsciousness or sleep remains substantial. Maybe in literature, the author Samuel Beckett has gone furthest in dealing with human autonomy in his writings. The search for autonomous action might lead to far-reaching inactivity in “Waiting for Godot”.
However, Beckett’s view about autonomy can also be interpreted as a continuous battle of mankind as demonstrated in the often cited expression by Beckett (“Worstward Ho”, 1983, p.7) “All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Our strive for autonomy remains a lifelong struggle. The path to more autonomy is not linear over the life course. In fact, much evidence from gerontologists suggests that it might follow an inverse U-shape, being low at birth and low before death. Literature has guided us in such questions just as much as religious, philosophical, legal and social concerns enter into the underlying concept of autonomy and autonomous decision-making across the life course.

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Gone reading

From time to time we should reflect on our scope of reading experiences. Over time, a certain bias for probably predominantly Western European or western parts of the world is likely. Therefore, it is an interesting experience to consciously choose authors from a broader geographical background.  The reading, which originates or takes its motivation from an exhibition, is a good start to broaden reading, particularly if images enliven the reading experience. The art work by Yinka Shonibare CBE on display in Berlin at the Palais Populaire manages to make this point in a colorful, compelling fashion.
It is difficult to assess what we have missed so far without having embarked on a longer reading journey. (Image: extract from Yinka Shonibare CBE, 2022, “The African Library Collection (Poets)”

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Hybrid art

Bringing together 2 kinds of art makes hybrid art. Just as other fields of art have combined for example music with text to create the art form of songs as of the medieval ages, for example, the emancipation of another form of hybrid art is gaining prominence, text incorporated into or in cooperation with painting. The incorporation of text into paintings, sculptures or installations represents a drive to ise multiple channels of communication with an audience. Each might be sensitive to a specific word or sound, which creates an entry to gain attention or enlarge awareness for some cause. The “Palais Populaire” in Berlin displays the combination of the collection of the Deutsche Bank Art collection and the “Written Art Collection” to make this point with some forceful pieces of hybrid art focusing on text in art. (Image: Extract from “Map of utopia” by Qiu Zhijie, shown at “Seeing words, reading imagesSeeing words, reading images” at the Palais Populaire” in Berlin 2026-5). 

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Latent social structure

In empirical approaches to sociology we occasionally apply “latent variables analyses”. The aim is to uncover links between data that are not obvious in standard analyses of data. We are pretty convinced by evidence that age correlates with the probability of death. However, most tragedies are created around exceptional counter examples to this “rational expectation”. We also somehow have an intuition about the positive effect of social networks or the social fabric in a more general sense on living and survival. In some of those latent variable models we find evidence for an underlying factor without being able to properly name or frame it. Hence, as social scientists we continue to be interested in ways to make latent social structures more visible. With such an approach in mind I visited the exhibition by author and photographer “John Kolya Reichart” in the “Schöneberg Museum” entitled “Die Kette” (The Chain, 2026-5). The start of the chain is a familiar person in your neighborhood who leads you to the next person and so on. It is explicitly a non-random procedure, which complements proceedings of strictly random sample selection of survey methodologies. The sources for bias outcomes are multiple, however, an underlying or latent social fabric of a friendship and support mechanisms can be shown. Besides the b/w portraits and audios, giving a justification for the choice, the documentation of the process of production gives more insights into the risks and potentials of this form of insights into latent social structures.
(Image: Schoeneberg Museum, “Die Kette” by John Kolya Reichart)

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Nothing changed

It reads like an entry into a personal diary. The poem “Darmstadt, 4. Januar” by Renate Schmidgall (2025, p. 24) reflects on the obsession with change. The sky shows traces of airplanes, which have passed some time ago. Trees age slowly, a pigeon sets off. “Nichts ist anders als gestern,” (Nothing is different from yesterday, then suddenly a poem finds again its space in me, …). Nothing changed, and yet, suddenly, all is different again. Motivation sets in and time appears rather short.
In “Donnerstag” (Thursday) Schmidgall (2026, p.30) notes a daily routine and the planning of today, even the day after tomorrow. Emptying her paper basket, she finds a quotation from Bruno Schulz she noted previously. “An allem schuld ist der schnelle Zerfall der Zeit.” (The fault of everything is the rapid dissolution of time).
Time is portrait in these two poems as both a moment-specific personal experience as well as the short-cut description of a society-wide trend. Just, as if time was the driving force of change on both levels, even if we know it is not time in itself, but other forces are at work. “O tempora, o mores” as Cicero stated, appears to be still valid summary claim. (Image: Neue Nationalgalerie Front – WZB (Stirling architecture) in background, Fog installation in sculpture garden 2026-5).

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Time in poetry

Some might argue poetry is all about time. It is a perfect way to “decelerate”. Reading pace, in most instances, slows down considerably. At least the first time reading is frequently a stop and go process. A few examples of poetry may hit personal trigger points. The random collection of poems I consulted in the “Lese lounge” in 2026-5 contained each the topic of time in one or the other form. Renate Schmidgall (2025) carries time indirectly in her title “Kein Verlass auf Uhren und Gestirne” (Don’t depend on clocks and stars, own translation). She creates new metaphors like “Am Kirchturm rostet die Zeit” (p. 12 On the church tower time rusts). This sentence precedes the sentence which became the book title. Time is also envisioned a bit like an onion in another metaphor “die Uhr schält rückwärts die Stunden“ (the clock peels backwards the hours). So much to gain with so little time spent with poetry.  (Image: Bronse in Jardin des Plantes, Paris, homage to Saint-John Perse 2026). 

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Taking a break

The time a researcher spends reading is still above average, I suppose. Even in times of AI doing astonishing summaries of documents and texts in general, we still need to check the output by reading as well. Taking a break from data compilation and writing, it’s time to do other reading. The Staatsbibliothek tries to lure people studying and researching there into their „Reading Lounge“. In 2026-5 the proposed reading is poetry. Based on the recommendations by an expert group 10 titles of German and 10 translations of poetry are available with direct access for onsite reading. The shift from on screen reading to paper based reading gives your eyesight a break. Your mind wonders off to something else. Much better concentration and new synapses afterwards. Why is still so difficult to take a break this way? We are working on it. 

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Post-sacred architecture

As with our human bodies, and in many instances already, sacred architecture follows a life course pattern. The thriving religious communities build and expand their faith to larger audiences. In these expansionary phases of the faith many monumental buildings, known as sacred architecture, as well as splendid interiors or artefacts enter the “built faith”. After the peak of membership and in periods of contraction, the question of how to scale down the splendors starts to arise.
Eventually, the ceding of the sacred architecture to the non-believing communities comes into consideration. The sacred architecture needs to find its place in the evolution of societies as well as urban and rural local space. Depending on the intentions and resources of communities, post-sacred architecture has to redefine its purpose for its own survival.
An interesting example of post-sacred architecture constitutes the “Friedrichswerdersche Kirche” in Berlin. The use as a historic exhibition space for sculptures of the 19th century works particularly well in combination with an active program on art, architecture and history. The statue by Ludwig Winckelmann (image below) depicts the reflection on and about a miniature sculpture in space. The post-sacred use of this fine and luminous architecture continues to reach an enlightened audience.

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Valuable Donations

The of a donation to a national gallery is often a curse but may reveal only much later as a blessing. More galleries across the world give due credit to their generous donors. The collection of impressionist paintings by Caillebotte figures today very promising in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. The fine collection by Chistoph Müller endowed to today‘s “Kupferstichkabinett” exposed in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin has been on display in a small room. The „Kräuterblätter” (herbes on paper) by Kolbe 1815/1824 are fine pieces of etching with a focus on what might get lost in our biodiversity in coming years. Old trees were surely on his list (Oak trees 500+ years old). A collection of depictions of herbs and flowers a part of an ecological treasure which the generations after the painter and eventually the collector Christoph Müller began to value a lot. Some collectors are far ahead of their time by treasuring the past. (Image: Extract of „Kräuterblatt mit Schnitterin“ Kolbe 1815/24 Donation Christoph Müller shown in Gemäldegalerie Berlin 2026-5)

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Portrait of or about

In some galleries or for curators of an exhibition, the crucial question is not only the overall message, but the best positioning of artworks in the available space. In many national galleries what hangs next to another piece is rarely seen as an opportunity for exploration and experimentation. A recent visit to the “Gemäldegalerie“ in Berlin allowed to explore the vicinity of 2 paintings, which are very different in appearance. The one (by Pierre Subleyras 1740) is just entitled “Portrait of a woman”, the other one next to it, “Virgin and Child Enthroned, with Angels and Two Saints, Domenico Mondo 1773). The former portrait has almost a modern touch to it as the beauty consists in the simplicity of the person depicted, whereas the latter painting portrays a rather empty message of splendor and power. The conscious confrontation of portraits or paintings with each other is the high art of curatorship. It is even more pointed than a guided tour of a gallery as the simultaneous rather than the sequential confrontation is the issue. 

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Woman artist scandal

The painter Hermine Schmidt-von Preuschen, little known today, had to face strong forces in the established art community of her time. The skills and audacity she displayed at an early stage of her career as painter is epitomized in her work “Imperator Mors”. This painting dates back to 1887 and was rejected by the art academy in Berlin for their official exhibition. The woman artist was already at that time confident enough that her painting was of sufficient quality to deserve to be not only considered in the exhibition, but also to be seen by larger audiences. Similar to the refused painters of the impressionist movement, she decided to mount her own exhibition. The turnout to this proved to be quite a success according to the press cuttings presented as part of the exhibition in Berlin at the “Alte Nationalgalerie” 2026-5. Maybe it was the intended philosophical topic or message that killed the chances to be part of the art academy exhibition. “Imperator Mors” shows death or a skeleton to be the ultimate ruler of our fate. For all those who believe in some sort of life after death, this can be viewed as a “Scandal” in itself. The scandal created with such a depiction probably overshadowed the fact that the provocation came from a woman artist. Still very avantgarde for the end of the 19th century. (Image: Hermine Schmidt-von Preuschen and her painting Imperator Mors 1887)

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Brancusi polyartist

The joint exhibition by the “Neue Nationalgalerie” Berlin and the “Centre Pompidou” Paris has the simple title “Brancusi”. The name of the artist Brancusi stands for a very singular approach to take sculpture into the 20th century by way of abstraction. Brancusi used all sorts of materials like lime stone, bronze, wood and marble. Additionally, he was very conscious of the fact that especially for sculptures the “mise en scène” plays a vital role. Brancusi excelled in this in a rather unique way, mostly by confronting different materials with each other. Sculptures, for him, were architecture in miniature. Such a polyartist approach to sculpture pushed him to use photography and video to not only promote his own work, but to exploit these relatively new techniques to enhance the effect of his sculptures.
Maybe it took almost 100 years that by means of the “not-so-social media” not-instant, anytube and tikytok, this “modus operandi” would capture a whole generation of youth to follow in his footsteps without knowing it. The polyartist Brancusi is a unique milestone, not only using lime stone, on the trajectory of sculpture beyond the early 20th century. The links to other innovative artists chosing abstraction, Picasso or Modigliani, as well as musicians like Eric Satie, reflect the importance of social networks for mutual encouragement when treading new paths in art.

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Beeple Deeple People

The “Neue Nationalgalerie” in Berlin hosts in 2026-5 the work by “Beeple” artist Mike Winkelmann together with the “Andy Warhol Robot K-456” by Nam June Paik. The re-interpretations of robots and the imagined effects this new media has or shall have on our lives, this is the subject of a critical projection and the artist’s chosen form for a projection into the future.
In 1994 the “Andy Warhol Robot K-456” prefigures the pervasive decoration of the human body with screens as a futuristic way of communication with others. The communication practices in 2026 have changed with software and applications like DeepL, which allow real time translations of speech to our neighbors or distant cultures.
The installation “Regular Animals” brings to our attention the power of images in our daily communication. Warhol built his art around the topic of pop culture with the visual heroes of, for example, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe as the best known pop images or icons of his time. In Beeple’s work, the dog robots’ conversation is only via instant images. These images are AI-edited and distributed rapidly at random across space, the floor in a well-delimited space. Space does no longer matter as distance as it is passed instantly. Perception and reception are transformed into a power-play via images and distribution channels. We are all transformed into “Beeple Deeple People” without noticing it, aren’t we?. About time that social science or sociology of the visual recons with these not so new facts of communication in the 2020s.

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Pictures at an exhibition

The playlist on Spotify, which accompanies the exhibition “Unforgettable” in Ghent, is an interesting extension of the unforgettable artists into today and tomorrow. You may be inclined to share your opinion in the way Maria Iskariot does it in “Dat find ik lekker” or more like Sophie Straat in “Dansen met de dood”. Anyway, women artists are coming front stage and this is great news despite all the backlashes we, unfortunately, witness in the 2020s. The curator of the playlist Murielle Scherre has managed to take us, a bit like the exuberant Modest Mussorgsky in his “Pictures at an exhibition”, beyond the marvelous exhibition rooms to a broad exploration of contemporary women artists’ world of imagination in music, visuals and songs. A great intergenerational accomplishment. 

Screenshot
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Forgotten but Unforgettable

Many women painters and artists who worked during the 17th and first half of the 18th century have been forgotten until recently. The galleries of the time and many years later gave little attention to the women artists of that time. Most of them were relegated to be of minor importance in the course of art history. The exhibition of the Museum of the Fine Arts Ghent in Belgium has accomplished to rectify this place of women painters in art history. The fine pieces of art, ranging from painting to sculptures, were frequently signed by men, probably to achieve higher market values and become visible in the public sphere at all at their time.
The exhibition is a kind of a revelation of how difficult it was for women to move from an “object of art” to be the subject painting including painting themselves. This also dealt with the view or regard of others towards women. Additionally, the exhibition features a section on “Social Expectations”, which deals with the expectations of the Flemish and Dutch societies towards women. Family values, marriage, wealth and social status were of utmost importance.
These women painters were forgotten far too long, but have staged their comeback as “Unforgettable” in the 21st century.
(Image: “Pictura at an exhibition” taken in the MSK Ghent 2026-4)

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AI data Input

If you ever wondered where the information from AI and AI chatbots comes from, you will not be surprised that this webpage schoemann.org is regularly solicited for such purposes. The number of crawlers, that do so, is quite large. The ability to trace what exactly they are harvesting on your website, is quite a tricky issue. At least a basic awareness of how the internet has been transformed in the last few years becomes evident through the comparison of unique visits, many through search engines like Google search or others, with the amount of contacts by AI-associated crawlers (see slide from own webpage below).
During he last month up to 2026-4-27 there were about 75.000 contacts, compared to 93.000 during the previous month.
At first sight, AI chatbots have largely outnumbered the “personal visits” of my webpage (see evaluate web analytics). On the other hand, I have no information of how many visits are, (at least potentially) re-directed hints from AI chatbots to my content.
In terms of “traffic” for a webpage, the information of how the AI-driven or AI-assisted search operates with other persons’ contributions will be the challenge of the coming years. If AI chatbots had to pay 10 cents per visit, I would have a comfortable pay every month from this content use. The issue of AI paying for access to reliable and high quality content has to be dealt with sooner rather than later. You may prompt a chatbot on this issue.
Meanwhile: My New Book on AI is out Now 2026-4-28:
“AI and Social Science: Potentials versus Limitations” by Dr. Klaus Schoemann, online reading and free download (here) before implementation of Paywall later on.

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Before and After

It is not always easy to precisely identify the state of before a transformation from the state of after a transformation. In human developments we can observe lengthy periods of for example puberty. Other transformations of biological changes might be more obvious to identify like a broken bone, but a broken heart transformation might be less obvious as it might occur gradually and progressively rather than abruptly. Much the same can be said about illnesses like diabetes or cancer. The task of science is to study the whole process and this includes the theoretical model of such transformations. The arts have dealt with this complexity before and many artifacts take care to show or make explicit the kind of transformation they have undergone. The woodwork by Birkenmaier (before 1687, in catalog of Metamorphosis exhibition, Amsterdam 2026. Image below) is an early example of being honest about original piece and the evolution of the piece of art into the transformed “oeuvre”.