Abstract
The symposium seeks to explore how AI can power tools such as precise measurement, real-time modeling, immersive testing, and continuous feedback that make it possible for the new generation of media artists to create intentional spaces, foster public engagement and create community-responsive public art. Our conversation will be at the intersection of new forms of aesthetic research, human well-being and the practicalities of the built environment.
Seminar Recap
We are honored to have Joseph O’Connell and Cecilia Federici at Arts Tech Lab this week to explore the emerging future of media arts. Following their preliminary introduction of the Creative Machines studio, the second lecture delved into the intersection of AI-driven artistic practices and the emerging fields of New Media Art.
More than exploring the technicalities of AI, the seminar delved into how these cutting-edge tools specify the concept of “Intentional Spaces”— deliberately designed and built environments for human well-being and community goals.
Throughout the conversation, Cecilia Federici revealed that AI was presented as a collaborative “sparring partner” rather than a replacement of the artist. As an emerging art form, new media art continuously innovates the art world by incorporating different mediums such as music, space, and cutting-edge technologies.
Joseph O’Connell presented his monumental Audio-kinetic Ball Machines not as mere mechanical sculptures, but as “Social Anchors”, fostering human connections. By incorporating rhythmic physics, drawing shared attention from the public, he transformed high-stress hubs and hostile architecture into intentional spaces that foster collective well-being in the society.
After this insightful discussion, a wonder in the creative landscape comes to our minds: Where do we draw the line between the artist’s intentionality and the autonomy of the AI tools in artistic creation?
About the Speaker
Growing up in a family steeped in science and art, Joseph became a maker and then an artist, founding his studio Creative Machines in 1995 and building a diverse team. Creative Machines has grown to become one of the largest and most capable art studios led by a single artist and has created site specific works on seven continents.
Cecilia Federici is a contemporary art curator and creative strategist based in Rome. Her curatorial practice sits in between new forms of aesthetics, community-led intentional spaces theories and practices of art as a form of activism and political engagement. Committed to sharing beauty that transforms society, she works alongside trailblazer artists and institutions between Europe, North America and Asia.
This even is hosted by the HKU Arts Tech Lab.
For enquiries, please contact atlask@hku.hk