The Intersect: Art in Tech and Tech in Art

Greetings from Juergen

Hi all,

This week’s stories ask important questions about how we consume, create, and preserve art in a rapidly changing world. From Spotify’s quiet shift toward algorithm-driven “functional music” that sidelines real artists, to Charleston’s bold attempt to merge street art with pedestrian safety, the intersection of creativity and technology continues to challenge our perspectives.

We’ll also look at hidden narratives, like the secret portrait beneath a Picasso painting revealed by infrared technology, and revisit Carl Sagan’s iconic "Pale Blue Dot" photograph, which reminds us of the fragility of our shared existence. Plus, I’ve shared some personal reflections on the pressures of the creator economy, and we’ll explore how wildfires are reshaping art preservation in LA. There’s plenty to reflect on, so let’s get started.

Listen to “The Intersect” companion podcast, where each story comes to life in an engaging, conversational format. Subscribe today for fresh perspectives.

Technology in Music

Spotify’s Illusion of Music Discovery and Choice

Spotify’s algorithmic playlists promise discovery, but as The Atlantic highlights in a review of Liz Pelly’s Mood Machine, they mostly reinforce a loop of predictable recommendations.

Worse, Spotify has taken things a step further—engineering its own "functional music" to populate these playlists. Instead of paying artists, the platform fills its mood-based lists with royalty-free tracks that mimic existing music, ensuring more profit for Spotify and less support for real musicians.

For me, the most disturbing part of this story is that Spotify hired their own music production companies to churn out quickly generated mood music to fill its recommended playlists. The reason? Royalties are much lower—or nonexistent—when Spotify produces the tracks itself, effectively cutting out the artists it's supposed to support. Suddenly, our playlists are filled with music that "fits" but doesn’t come from any recognizable artist in the real world.

If discovery is just an illusion, our music tastes are gradually shaped by these curations, and what does that mean for the future of music?

Public Art

Could Street Art Improve Downtown Charleston Pedestrian Safety? City Officials Think So.

Charleston’s creative twist on pedestrian safety caught my eye in Ali Rockett’s piece for The Post and Courier. The city is pursuing a $100,000 grant to transform a busy downtown intersection with street art, aiming to slow drivers and protect pedestrians and cyclists. Inspired by a similar project from 2018, the initiative channels Bloomberg Philanthropies' Asphalt Art Initiative, which has shown promising results in reducing collisions and improving driver awareness.

I can’t help but wonder, though—how practical is this for cyclists? The zigzagging murals look stunning, but as someone who bikes regularly, I’d probably end up wobbling along, wondering if I’m more a hazard than the traffic.

"It’s a really cool opportunity to look at safety in a different way," Katie Zimmerman of Charleston Moves said.

Are safety and aesthetics on a collision course here? Fun, yes—but also potentially a little nerve-wracking for us two-wheelers!

In Depth: On My Substack Blog

The Involuntary Creator's Manifesto - by Juergen Berkessel

In my recent post on Substack, “The Involuntary Creator’s Manifesto,” I explore my reluctance to identify with the “creator economy.” While platforms like Substack and social media push creators toward monetization and scaling, I’ve found these goals often drain the joy from creating and sharing. This manifesto stems from a deeper reflection on what it means to create without extraction or profit as the primary focus. And, please forgive the poetry format!

For me, creating is an internal process—a need, not a strategy. Whether it’s music, art, or writing, I would create regardless of recognition or financial gain. This perspective feels increasingly out of step with systems designed to measure worth in metrics and revenue.

“I don’t see myself as a ‘creator’ chasing profits in the creator economy. Running a podcast agency, I saw how the push to monetize everything drained the joy from sharing content. For me, it’s about connecting with like-minded people, not finding customers.”

Does creativity lose its essence when tied too closely to monetization? Or is there a sustainable path where joy and value can coexist?

Photography

The Pale Blue Dot at 35: The Making of an Iconic Photo

Thirty-five years ago, Voyager 1 captured one of the most profound images in human history—the "Pale Blue Dot." As IFLScience recounts, this final photograph was taken at Carl Sagan's insistence, a last look back before the probe continued into interstellar space. From 3.7 billion miles away, Earth was reduced to a mere fraction of a pixel, suspended in a sunbeam.

Sagan understood the power of perspective. He fought for this image not just as a scientific curiosity but as a statement—a reminder of our fragility. That tiny dot contains everything we have ever known, yet we act as if our divisions and conflicts matter on a cosmic scale.

"It underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known." —Carl Sagan

Looking at that image today, have we really learned anything from it?

Art & Science

Infrared Technology Reveals Secret Portrait Hidden Beneath Picasso Painting

Picasso’s Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto has been hiding a secret for over a century. As reported by My Modern Met, conservators at The Courtauld Institute of Art used X-ray and infrared imaging to reveal a hidden portrait of an unknown woman beneath the surface. Likely painted just months earlier, this discovery sheds light on Picasso’s early years, when financial constraints often led him to reuse canvases instead of discarding them.

The fact that technology can bring these buried layers to the surface is fascinating. It’s a reminder that paintings aren’t static objects—they evolve, full of revisions, second thoughts, and lost ideas. Seeing these hidden stages offers a glimpse into the artist’s process, something we rarely get to witness so intimately.

Artists constantly revise, rethink, and sometimes completely erase their work. This kind of archival scanning exposes those hidden decisions, revealing the moments where an artwork could have gone in an entirely different direction. It’s a kind of time travel through creativity.

What other masterpieces might still be hiding ghostly remnants of past ideas beneath their surfaces?

Exhibitions & Events

This Miami Museum Takes Visitors Though an Instagram-Ready Funhouse

The Associated Press recently highlighted the Paradox Museum in Miami’s Wynwood district, where math, science, and art collide in Instagram-perfect settings. Visitors navigate over 70 exhibits filled with optical illusions, interactive installations, and immersive photo opportunities. Executive Director Samantha Impellizeri describes it as a “funhouse meets education,” with themes tailored to reflect the local community.

I find the concept of blending carnival funhouses with educational layers of math and science fascinating. It’s an experience that feels playful yet purposeful, engaging visitors of all ages. The added allure of leaving with unique social media content makes it approachable for families and younger crowds, potentially building curiosity for more traditional museums.

"We’re not going to be the same space in a year to three years from now,” Impellizeri explained, referring to the evolving exhibits that integrate new technologies and discoveries.

Could this trend bridge the gap between entertainment and deeper, lasting engagement with the arts?

Digital Archiving and Art Preservation

Los Angeles Wildfires Tested the City’s Art Handling and Storage Infrastructure

The Los Angeles wildfires put the city’s art storage infrastructure to the test, as reported by The Art Newspaper. With collectors and galleries scrambling to protect their artwork, facilities like RW Holdart, Uovo, and Crozier saw a surge in demand, some fielding five to ten times their usual requests. While many artworks in storage remained safe, others were hastily packed into cars or left behind as homeowners prioritized personal safety.

This reminds me of the Asheville floods, where artists had to rush their work upstairs to avoid water damage. The reality is, proper archival storage is not cheap, and most independent artists don't have access to high-security climate-controlled facilities.

"In climate emergencies like fires, hurricanes, and similar disasters, we don't often think about preserving artwork. It seems almost like in war zones, when people scramble to save cultural treasures before disaster strikes."

If disasters keep escalating, do we need to rethink how we protect art outside of museums?

The Last Word

Thanks for spending your time exploring these stories with me. It’s always a privilege to share these intersections of art and technology, where each story offers a glimpse into how creativity and innovation influence our world. If you have thoughts or questions, feel free to reach out—I’d genuinely love to hear from you. Let’s keep this conversation alive and growing, together.

Warm regards, Juergen