The World Is Beautiful
Again

The World Is Beautiful Again
About
FAQ
Streams

What in this world needs
to be changed, repaired
or removed?

Take a photo of
what needs to be fixed

Drag & drop your photo
here (or browse)

3
We'll repair
the world for you

What in this world needs to be changed, repaired or removed?

Tap here to take a photo of what needs to be fixed

2
We'll repair the world for you

Uploading…

Thank You!

The world will soon be repaired

The World Is Beautiful Again

lina: :)

The World Is Beautiful Again

sebastian: Hey, I hope this is what you wanted :)

The World Is Beautiful Again

lina: repaired again because someone suggested making it an electric car

The World Is Beautiful Again

sebastian: Maybe I made it worse.

The World Is Beautiful Again

sebastian: I wasn't sure how to approach this, and if to "repair" this photo at all. Does it make sense to now mark it as "the world is beautiful again"? Probably not. But maybe this is a start, something we all are desperate to see happening.

The World Is Beautiful Again

sebastian: I could have generated an entirely new surrounding for the person, but that felt a bit like removing the person from the city altogether. Instead I tried to add helpful things, step by step, to make the sitation more comfortable. Not sure this is exactly what the person in the photo would want.

The World Is Beautiful Again

Next Repair Livestream: to be announced

About

The World Is Beautiful Again invites the audience to submit photographs that depict something that they consider should be changed, repaired or removed: from problems of a personal nature to global issues that are affecting the planet. Submitted photos are “fixed” by the artists using AI tools to manipulate the image. This happens weekly during "repair sessions" that are livestreamed on Twitch.

A project by Sebastian Schmieg and Lina Schwarzenberg, 2023

Commissioned by Fotomuseum Winterthur in the framework of [permanent.beta]

The World Is Beautiful Again takes its playful starting point in the 1928 photobook Die Welt ist schön (The World Is Beautiful) by German photographer Albert Renger-Patzsch. The highly acclaimed photobook uncovers the inherent beauty and clarity of the world through a sober yet appealing depiction of everyday scenes and objects and is an iconic instance of the New Objectivity movement.

The project by Sebastian Schmieg and Lina Schwarzenberg invites the audience to submit photographs that depict something that they consider should be changed, repaired or removed: from problems of a personal nature to global issues that are affecting the planet. Submitted photos are “fixed” by the artists using AI tools to manipulate the image. The newly created photographs show the world beautiful again – what was once broken is now repaired and newly imagined. By showcasing the performative process of their AI-generated repair work, the artists playfully question the efficiency-driven and solutionist ideas behind the narratives of artificial intelligence and make the viewer aware of the image’s potential to create simplified models of the world.

At the same time, The World Is Beautiful Again explores whether AI-generated images, because of their easy malleability, could be seen as expressions of possibility spaces that prompt us to question ourselves and our environment: Why are things the way they are and not otherwise? What alternatives are there? And what might forms of repair look like?

—Marco De Mutiis, Digital Curator at Fotomuseum Winterthur

FAQ

What kind of photo should I upload?

You can submit photographs that depict something that you consider should be changed, repaired or removed: from problems of a personal nature to global issues that are affecting the planet.

What happens to the photo I upload?

Upon uploading, the photo will be displayed on this website. The process of making the world beautiful again within the photo – using AI tools – will take place during one of our upcoming livestreams. Afterwards, the new photo will be uploaded to this website and your original photo will not be visible anymore.

Can I upload anything I want?

You're welcome to upload any photo that showcases a world in need of repair. It is required that you have the necessary rights to upload the photo. We reserve the right to delete offensive photos.

Are there any restrictions on image resolution, quality or file formats?

Uploaded photos must have a minimum size of 1000 × 1000 pixels. The maximum file size should not exceed 10 megabytes. All common image formats are supported.

Will my uploaded photos be publicly visible?

Once uploaded, your photo becomes publicly accessible on our website.

Will the world in every photo be repaired?

We strive to make the world beautiful again in all uploaded photos, as long as they meet our guidelines.

When will the world within my photo be repaired?

We process the photos in the order they were uploaded. The processing time can vary based on workload or the complexity of the photos.

Who is repairing the world within the photos, making it beautiful again?

AI image editing technologies operated by Sebastian Schmieg and Lina Schwarzenberg.

Can I track the repair process or receive notifications when my photo is ready?

The repair process is livestreamed on Twitch. The photo owners will receive a notification once it's done.

Is the repair free of charge?

Yes, we make the world beautiful again at no cost.

Who owns the photo after the repair?

The photos of the repaired world belong us, but you are also welcome to download, use, and share the new photo that was created from your photo. The same applies to anyone else.

What happens to the photos after they are repaired?

Once the world in a photo is repaired, it gets uploaded to this website and replaces your original photo.

Are the original photos deleted after repair?

The original photos are removed from the website after repair. However, note that we reserve the right to retain the original photos for possible future purposes.

Will the photos be used outside the website/stream?

Inspired by Albert Renger-Patzsch's Die Welt ist schön (The World is Beautiful), there will be a publication of 100 photos in which we have made the world beautiful again.