The Heidi Goes AI exhibition, organized by the Consulate General of Switzerland and the Heidiseum (owner of the UNESCO’s Heidi Archive), have closed its physical doors, but the story doesn’t end there. You can now experience the exhibition in its digital format, and we will announce the winner of the Public Choice Award shortly.
All participants who casted their vote for their favorite artwork, not only supported the artist, but also entered a prize draw. The artist who received the most votes will win a special prize, and one lucky voter will receive the same incredible reward – stay tuned!
The prize? Two nights for two guests in a Deluxe Junior Suite at the renowned five-star Grand Hotel Quellenhof in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland. This iconic resort is celebrated for its world-class wellness center, refined culinary offerings, and timeless alpine elegance. You can visit their website following this link: www.resortragaz.ch.
We extend our sincere thanks to the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz AG for making this exceptional experience possible.
But there’s even more meaning behind this prize.
The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is not only a symbol of luxury and tradition – it is also deeply rooted in the original Heidi story. In Heidi, Bad Ragaz is mentioned multiple times as the setting of a “great hotel” where Heidi’s aunt Dete works as a chambermaid and where a wealthy family from Frankfurt, who later plays a central role in Heidi’s journey, comes to stay. In the second volume, Klara’s grandmother (Frau Sesemann) resides in Bad Ragaz, receiving daily updates about Klara’s health from the mountains.
It is believed that Johanna Spyri, the author of Heidi, even wrote parts of the novel while staying in Bad Ragaz – a place also frequented visited by renowned figures such as Hans Christian Andersen, Victor Hugo, and French Empress Eugénie. Today, the hotel proudly honors this legacy – even naming a hall after Johanna Spyri – making this prize not only a luxurious getaway, but a meaningful return to the literary and cultural roots of Heidi.
The Consulate General of Switzerland received a total of 106 submissions, from which a diverse and expert jury carefully selected the top 20 for the exhibition in San Francisco. Through multiple rounds of discussion, jury members Menna El Assady (AI researcher), Patrick Karpiczenko “Karpi” (AI artist), Margarita Boenig-Liptsin (tech ethics expert), and Peter Büttner (Heidiseum partner and Heidi expert), thoughtfully curated the final selection.
Menna El Assady Menna El Assady is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science of ETH Zürich. She focuses on the intersection of data analysis, visualization, computational linguistics, and explainable artificial intelligence.
Patrick Karpiczenko Patrick “Karpi” Karpiczenko works as an advertising director and creates formats for the Swiss television. He is responsible for many viral online successes, such as his “AI-generated Heidi trailer” with over 21 million views. Karpi is a speaker and lecturer in the field of generative AI.
Margarita Boenig-Liptsin Margarita Boenig-Liptsin is a Professor for the Chair of Ethics, Technology, and Society at ETH Zürich. Her research explores how information technologies reshape human identity and ethics, with a focus on the evolving concept of human dignity in the age of AI.
Peter Büttner Peter Otto Büttner is a literary and cultural scientist and curator associated with the University of Zürich. He is the great-grandson of the painter Friedrich Wilhelm Pfeiffer, who created the first drawings for Heidi. He founded Heidiseum in 2018.
Exhibition opening event
The top 20 selected still and moving images from the “Heidi Goes AI” Call for Submissions are on display at Switzerland @ Pier 17. The exhibition’s opening on March 11 featured an engaging onstage conversation between Audrey Kim, curator and founder of the Misalignment Museum in San Francisco – a museum dedicated to showcasing AI art – and RimmaBoshernitsan, futurist and founder of Dialogue. Watch the full discussion in the video below.
Audrey Kim is the founder and curator of the Misalignment Museum. She is fascinated by the ways movement shifting art are often predicated on technology, and the historical evolution of museums. She has previously created collaborative art with the composer Philip Glass and OpenAI. Prior to that, she worked for YCombinator, led private-public partnership programs for the United Nations, led operations for a self-driving car startup (from pre-seed to post-GM acquisition), and business development for Google. She has also created international tech conferences in collaboration with the US Embassy and Austrian Foreign Ministry to bridge tech communities globally.
Rimma Boshernitsan is a futurist, a facilitator, strategist and the CEO of DIALOGUE, an interdisciplinary strategic advisory and think tank that helps leaders and companies find the shortest, cleanest path to their most ambitious goals. Over her 20-year career, she has served as a strategic advisor and thought partner to CEOs of emerging businesses and Fortune 500 organizations (including Google, Apple, Levi’s) focusing on catalyzing cross-sector, human connected transformation and intelligent innovation. Currently, Rimma is researching models for co-intelligent leadership, bringing together human, machine, and planetary intelligence into her business practice. She is also an advisor to Stanford’s Women in Design Program.
Discover more events around Heidi Goes AI
March 30 Coming Home: A Celebration of Place and Memory Fun family-friendly activities Film screening “Heidi” by Allan Dwan with Shirley Temple (USA, 1937, 88 min.) A conversation with Verner Soler, Art Director, Saatchi & Saatchi, about his book “Home through an Emigrant’s Lens”
April 3 Tool or Threat? AI and Its Impact on Creative Industries For this panel evening, a diverse lineup of artists, creative professionals, curators, legal experts, and AI industry insiders will explore how generative AI is transforming the arts, reshaping creative industries, and impacting the evolution of cultural heritage.
April 15 Closing event: Deep Tech Nation Switzerland and AI On the final night of the exhibition, leading researchers and policy experts will highlight Switzerland’s role as a key hub for AI, showcasing Swiss contributions to cutting-edge innovation and responsible AI development.
May 15 - 20, 2026 / Throughout the week, special screenings of short films by Charles and Ray Eames The Powers of Ten (1977), and Sarah Morris's AM/PM (1999) and Miami (2002)...
