Stills and Photoworks, in collaboration with BRAID (Bridging Responsible AI Divides), and Inspace, will be hosting this experimental and playful event, marking the imagined end of Artificial Intelligence through a funeral procession and an early-evening wake. Join us as we reflect on all that we have gained and all that we have lost through the passing of AI, with opportunities to create and share your own eulogies.
The event marks both the declared end-of-life of Artificial Intelligence and the final month of Stills’ current exhibition Felicity Hammond – V4: Repository – the final iteration of the artist’s Variations series, commissioned through the Ampersand/Photoworks fellowship.
Felicity Hammond: END OF LIVE SERVICE, is a two-part event beginning with a procession at Stills (23 Cockburn St, Edinburgh EH1 1BP), inviting participants to convene in the gallery to join this procession and concluding at Inspace for the wake portion of the evening (1 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AB).
Upon arrival at Inspace, the procession will move through the venue, Felicity Hammond’s full updated service report will be read aloud, whilst the objects are brought in to be placed and displayed in the exhibition space. Ushers will hand out an order of service to all in attendance, outlining the evening.
On conclusion of the service report reading and laying down of physical tributes, the celebrant will invite all attendees to take refreshments and to meet and connect with each other ahead of sharing memories of AI, in all its rich complexity.
The wake will begin with Alex Taylor and Felicity Hammond, with shared reflections on that which is lost with AI, and perhaps how AI might be reborn in more limited and humanely grounded form. The celebrant will then encourage all participants to take time to reflect on their own memories and experiences of AI, and to write their own eulogies with provided paper and pens. Participants’ eulogies may then be shared with the group through spoken word, through a wall of remembrances, or they may be held personally and taken away with the participants as they reflect on their own relationship to AI.
The event will close with the sharing of participant eulogies, including invited reflections and from those who wish to step up on the day. The event will be closed by the celebrant and Felicity Hammond, with thanks given to all. A book of remembrances will also be available at the door as mourners leave, in case they wish to leave further comments.
Music accompaniment will take place throughout the event, drawing on the works co-created with AI to mark its own passing. Visual memories of the deceased, from Felicity Hammond’s Variations, will be presented throughout. No flowers are to be sent.
Tickets are free and available for the procession or the wake or both (see ticketing below).
EVENT DETAILS
Procession
Date: Thurs 29 Jan 2026
Time: 16:30-17:00 | Free/Ticketed
Location: Stills, 23 Cockburn St, Edinburgh EH1 1BP (please gather in the gallery)
Duration: Approx. 30mins
Event organiser/contact: Stills
Wake
Date: Thurs 29 Jan 2026
Time: 17:00-20:00 | Free/Ticketed
Location: Inspace, 1 Crichton St, Newington, Edinburgh EH8 9AB
Duration: Approx. 120mins
Event organiser/contact: Inspace
Speakers:
Alex Taylor – Sociologist at the Institute of Design Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Felicity Hammond – Artist, educator and senior lecturer at Kingston University
This event has limited capacity and so registration is preferred. Participants with tickets are guaranteed entry. If you have any enquiries about the events and venues, please contact event organisers at info@stills.org or designinformatics@ed.ac.uk
Inspace accessibility Venue Access features: Accessible toilets, Assistance dogs welcome, Baby changing facilities, Seating, Step-free access, Wheelchair accessible
Audience: This event welcomes creatives from any disciplinary background and members of the public interested in topics around AI and responsibility.
Trigger Warning: The structure for this event is inspired by the format of a procession followed by a wake. This event seeks to be playful in its response, however, the event experience might bring up unexpected emotions relating to death or loss and attendees are advised to be aware of this and if they start to feel overwhelmed at any point, to feel free to move away or take space – part of the event space will be set-up as a quiet reflective space.
If you have any enquiries about Inspace programming and the venue, please contact us at designinformatics@ed.ac.uk.
EVENT FORMAT AND STRUCTURE
16:30 – 17:00 The Procession begins at Stills, attendees are invited to join the performed procession through Edinburgh’s Old Town, ending at Inspace.
16:45 – 17:00 Inspace Doors Open for those joining the wake only
17:00 – 17:10 Arrival at Inspace by procession
17:10 – 17:35 Laying down of artefacts, reading of Service Report
17:35 – 17:45 Formal welcome by celebrant
17:45 – 18:00 Refreshments and comfort break
18:00 – 18:20 Celebrant and invited speakers share their reflections
18:20 – 18:40 Opportunity to write your own short eulogies to AI
18:40 – 19:15 Sharing of memories, led by invited eulogies.
19:15 – 19:30 Formal closing of event by celebrant and Felicity
Please note this event will be recorded and photographed – Video and Photographs will be used for future marketing, promotional, reporting and archival purposes. If you would prefer not to be filmed or photographed, please let us know at the event.
DATA PROTECTION STATEMENT
How we use and store your data – In providing this information, you are giving explicit consent for us to use your data in our programme and event monitoring, reporting and evaluation processes. The data is managed confidentially. Your data will be collected and held by the Institute for Design Informatics, University of Edinburgh (who operate Inspace) and held by the Institute and the BRAID programme (University of Edinburgh), it will also be shared with partner organisations for this event and the associated exhibition: Stills and Photoworks. Your data will only be reported or published in anonymous aggregated forms and will always be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and therefore also in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Data retention period: We will hold this information for a maximum period of 5 years from the date of the event, after which it will be disposed of.
Please read the University’s privacy and Data Protection notice (https://data-protection.ed.ac.uk/notice) for further information. You can also view the Stills privacy policy (https://stills.co.uk/privacy-policy/), the BRAID privacy notice (https://braiduk.org/privacy) and the Photoworks privacy policy (https://photoworks.org.uk/privacy-policy/).
Opt out: If you do not wish to share your information, or would like to modify your consent to collection and processing of personal information, please email us at: designinformatics@ed.ac.uk
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