Vanessa Gerrans

Vanessa Gerrans is CEO & Artistic Director of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale. She is developing the 11th Festival set to launch from 23 August to 19 October 2025.

Simultaneously, Gerrans is spearheading the development of the National Centre for Photography, set to transform the former Union Bank building in UNESCO Creative City of Ballarat, Australia.

Previously, Gerrans served as the Director of the Warrnambool Art Gallery from 2015 to 2022, following over a decade at the RMIT Gallery, RMIT University. She holds a Masters in Art Curatorship from the University of Melbourne.

Vanessa Gerrans will be speaking at the Museum AI Summit 2025 :

Prompted Peculiar – Curating an International AI Prize

Discover the process behind Prompted Peculiar, the first-ever generative AI-only exhibition within a photography festival, hosted at the 2023 Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Australia. This session delves into the innovative staging of the exhibition, the development of protocols for AI-generated art, and the ethical considerations of this rapidly evolving medium. Learn how the Biennale balanced the introduction of AI technology with traditional curatorial practices to create a thought-provoking experience in the context of photographic art. Perfect for artists, curators and tech enthusiasts, this presentation offers insights into the future of creativity and AI’s role in contributing to visual storytelling.