Huang Zan-Lun, The Animals, 2023-2024. Photo Courtesy of the artist.
From October 4 to December 15, the Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB) in Taipei is hosting the 2024 Future Media FEST exhibition under the theme Singularity. This year, the Future Media FEST examines the evolution of artificial intelligence and its social implications, focusing on the latest global developments and perspectives on AI. It marks the second event in a series that first launched in 2021.
Wu Dar-Kuen, the C-LAB curator, states, “In this nascent era, artificial intelligence is poised to transform not only our lifestyles but the very fabric of creativity and culture,” and asks, “Does AI’s creative prowess diminish the uniqueness of human artistry? This blurring of lines between human and machine creativity compels artists to embrace the forefront of technological integration in the arts.” He responds to AI’s breakneck evolution through the theme of Singularity, organizing the exhibition into four thematic chapters: ‘Flowing Anchor,’ ‘Transformation of Creativity,’ ‘Creator’s Insight,’ and ‘AI Ongoing.’ There are 23 artists and collectives from 9 countries demonstrating the applications of AI technology in art and exploring how technology influences our culture and society through their distinguished works and projects.
Yuan Goang-Ming, Flat World, 2024. Previsualization Image©️ Marco Bottigelli, Coastal Road in Madeira, Portugal via Getty Images.
Kim Ayoung, Delivery Dancer’s Sphere, 2022. Courtesy of the artist.
Sputniko! x Tomomi Nishizawa, Tokyo Medical University for Rejected Women, 2019. Photo Courtesy of the artist.
The first chapter, Flowing Anchor, embarks on a retrospective journey through the annals of technological advancement, tracing the evolution of AI and its profound impact on human knowledge and cultural landscapes. Researchers Lee Chia-Lin and Eric Tsai of ZIMU CULTURE recount the progress of modern technology and the anchor points of AI development, exploring how technology has uprooted societal perceptions and values and recounting notable events. Yuan Goang-Ming, currently holding a solo exhibition at the Taiwan Pavilion of the 60th Venice Biennale, deconstructs the civilized landscape of human physical space in his latest work Flat World (2024). Yuan leverages the Google Street View database to group similar scenes of streets around the globe using both human and AI processes, tiling these together to form a continuous landscape loop, that mirrors how human perception of geography is constantly being reshaped, shifted, and circulated under the forces of technology.
The following chapter, Transformation of Creativity, focuses on how AI has become a new force in artistic creativity and prompting audiences to reevaluate their roles in an AI-generated environment. As artificial intelligence technology becomes integrated into the creative realm, the process of realizing creative visions is undergoing a paradigm shift. Co-Infinite 3.0 (2024) by HYPER CURRENT recreates scenes of everyday life, from natural landscapes and architectural spaces to facial expressions in the virtual sphere, constructing an alternative reality that is familiar yet somewhat foreign. Audiences are not passive observers but active participants in this ever-changing environment as they experience how AI constantly rewrites our concept of reality through algorithms.
Ever since the introduction of the first AI chatbot in 2022, artists have been intrigued by a robot’s capacity for independent thought. The third chapter, Creator’s Insight, explores how technology provides artists with new perspectives and modes of expression using image generation, motion capture, game engines, and speculative design toolkits. Huang Zan-Lun, Luca Bonaccorsi, and the art collective 2ENTER investigate the complex history and philosophy of robots and the Internet through their conversations with AI. Wei Ze and Riar Rizaldi create digital avatars to illustrate the relationship between technological society and labor capital. Kim Ayoung, Lu Yang, and Yuen Hsieh, frequent participants in international technology art festivals, create digital utopias that surpass traditional worlds using game engines and scripting languages. In a time when the distinctions between organic lifeforms and artificial designs are blurring, Yang Sookyun, Yaloo, and Anke Schiemann propose their respective imaginings of bionic lifeforms. These works not only challenge the senses but also prompt consideration of the deeper relationship between technology and mankind’s future.
The final chapter, AI Ongoing, presents the infinite possibilities and challenges brought on by technological singularity. At this critical juncture, technology is not only an extension of human intelligence but also an important force in defining the future, pushing digital resilience to forefront. Among others, the international nonprofit organization Tactical Tech will share its approach and expertise in its mission to increase resilience within the global community and shape the future of collective society, politics, and the environment in the context of digital revolutions.
Through these four chapters and correlated events—discussions, lectures, workshops, and tours—the 2024 Future Media FEST guides the audience to contemplate AI’s transformative role in the arts and its implications for our future, as well as the process of history and future evolution considering the chapters that have yet to be written.
For more details, see the official website.
C-LAB Annual Exhibition 2024 Future Media FEST-Singularity
Friday, October 4, 2024 – Sunday, December 15, 2024
Venues: The Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB) Art Space II, North Lawn, Art Space I, Art Space III
Closed: Monday
Curator: Wu Dar-Kuen (the Director of the Contemporary Art Platform at Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB))
Exhibition URL: https://2024fmf.clab.org.tw/