A Tech Brunch on Quantum Computing at the House of electronic Arts in Basel
You don’t change a winning team.
On Sunday 26th October 2025, Pierre Fromholz and James Wootton (Moth Quantum AG and University of Basel) gave another Tech Brunch at the House of electronic Arts (HeK) in Basel, under the banner of NCCR SPIN. This event focused on Quantum Computing, a year and a half after its first edition.
Tech Brunches are a series of educational workshop organized by the HeK for anyone interested in new technologies and how to use them creatively. This one was conducted in the frame of their current Art and Science exhibition called “Quantum Visions – Encounters with Uncertainty”, which invites visitors to artistically explore quantum physics across science, society, and philosophy. The exhibition includes artworks that make fundamental concepts of quantum physics such as superposition and entanglement more physically tangible.
The workshop started with an introduction to the fundamental principles of quantum physics and quantum computing. Using metaphors, hands-on exercises, and concrete references to the artworks featured in the current exhibition, Pierre Fromholz guided participants through the strange phenomena underlying some of today’s most advanced technologies, and quantum computers. He also offered an overview of the current state of quantum computing: where we stand today and where the field may be heading. The second part of the workshop involved a hands-on digital artistic practice on laptops. Last year, our two scientists introduced a tool called “Quantum Blur”, which was at the heart of Libby Heaney’s work, exhibited at the HeK back then. This time, they introduced the newest digital art tool recently released by Moth and collaborators, a “quantum brush”. The brush can be used to transform any picture, based on various quantum algorithms operated on IBM’s quantum computer. The results are often surprising and unexpected, and the participants could directly visualize the effect of those algorithms on their digital canvas.
The event was fully booked and the 16 enthusiastic participants could get back home with a solid introduction to quantum computing and a file containing their artwork realized with the quantum brush. Thank you to Pierre Fromholz, James Wootton and Marie Le Dantec for designing this workshop!