cv

Basics

Name Laura Wagner
Label Doctoral Candidate
Summary Since early 2024, Laura has been pursuing her PhD at the University of Zurich. Her research begins with investigating open-source text-to-image and video generative AI models in the wild, with a focus on how they are adopted, personalized and reshared across communities. She is particularly interested in how systemic issues—such as the appropriation of unlicensed or violent material in training data—reappear in personalized model outputs and community practices. Her work is part of the project “The Canon of Latent Spaces: How Large AI Models Encode Art and Culture,” which explores how generative AI encodes art and culture.

Work

  • 2024.02 - NOW

    Zürich, Switzerland

    Doctoral Candidate Kunstgeschichte der Neuzeit
    Universität Zürich
    Research on open-source text-to-image AI personalizations and their societal impact
    • Investigating toxicity in open-source text-to-image communities
    • Exploring pathways for equitable and responsible model personalization
  • 2022.03 - 2023.12

    Köln, Germany

    Research Associate, project KITEGG
    KISD - International School of Design
    Development of teaching formats for AI in design education
    • Co-headed the school's 'Living-Objects-Lab' for embedded AI prototyping
    • Managed GPU-Cluster architecture for student use
  • 2021.05 - 2022.03

    Köln, Germany

    Student Research Assistant Interaction Design
    Cologne Cobots Lab TH Köln
    Creation of 3D assets and interactive prototypes
  • 2021.05 - 2022.03

    Köln, Germany

    Student Research Assistant Interaction Design
    KISD - International School of Design
    Creation of exercises using Machine Learning techniques
    • Model training with StyleGAN2/StyleGAN3
    • Developed Jupyter Notebooks for student accessibility
    • Conducting workshops on text-to-image AI, CharRNNs, and StyleGAN2
  • 2019.10 - 2020.08

    Aachen, Germany

    Interaction Designer
    Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT)
    Design and Development of interactive trade fair exhibits
    • Multitouch table demonstrators for industrial production chains
  • 2019.10 - 2020.08

    Frankfurt, Germany

    UX/UI Designer for Embedded Systems (automotive)
    Radial Design
    UX/UI design for the automotive industry
    • Creating prototypes in the Unity Game Engine
    • Motion design and 3D assets using Blender and After Effects
  • 2017.07 - 2018.01

    Singapore

    Student in practical semester
    Surbana Jurong Group
    Creation of 3D assets and interactive prototypes
  • 2015.10 - 2017.08

    Aachen, Germany

    Student Graphic Designer
    Werkzeugmaschinenlabor WZL der RWTH Aachen
    Animated illustrations for mechanical engineering lecture series
    • Concept and asset creation for a production technologies MOOC

Volunteer

  • 2011.08 - 2012.09

    Ramat Hasharon, Israel

    Volunteer
    ALUT
    Providing care for adults with severe forms of autism

Education

  • 2024.02 - NOW

    Zürich, Switzerland

    PhD Candidate
    University of Zürich
    Contemporary Art History | Digital Humanities
    • Funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation
    • Text-to-image AI personalizations
    • Explainable AI and societal impact
  • 2020.10 - 2022.02

    Cologne, Germany

    Master's degree
    KISD International School of Design, TH Köln
    Integrated Design
    • Interdisciplinary design approaches
    • Integration of design with technology
  • 2014.09 - 2019.07

    Aachen, Germany

    Bachelor's degree
    FH Aachen, Aachen University of Applied Sciences
    Communication Design
    • Interaction design
    • Communication design and technology

Awards

Projects

  • 2022 - 2022
    Borrowed Limbs
    Short film created using GAN, and text-to-image with diffusion models in collaboration with Lisa Marleen Mantel
    • Screened at several occasions including Ars Electronica
    • Supervised by Prof. Dr. Lasse Scherffig, Prof. Dr. Laura Popplow and Prof. Nina Juric
    • Won the Kölner Design Preis 2023 (3rd place)
  • 2022.04 - 2022.05
    Animation in X-Reality
    2-weeks summer school employing projection mapping and text-to-image AI
    • Resulting installation projected onto Vilnius City Hall facade
    • Commemorated 700 Anniversary of Vilnius