The Intersect: Art in Tech and Tech in Art - The Intersect: Art in Tech and Tech in Art

Greetings from Juergen

Hi everyone,

In this edition of "The Intersect," I've hopefully managed to curate a fascinating mix of stories exploring the dynamic interaction between art and technology. We're getting into the ethical quandaries of early photography, pondering the future of art as AI challenges traditional creation methods, and even having a laugh with an AI tool that turns your selfies into humorous roasts.

You'll also find a glimpse into how AI is reshaping art authentication and a look at Texas A&M's unique graduate programs that merge art with technology. Plus, there are exciting insights into how artists are pushing the boundaries of robotics, and how future design trends might balance AI's precision with the warmth of handcrafted artistry.

Catch "The Intersect: Art in Tech and Tech in Art" podcast for in-depth discussions on this week's stories. Subscribe for more art-tech insights!

Photography

Revisiting Early Photography: Ethics, Legal Constructs, and the Seligmans’ Legacy

Shalini Amerasinghe Ganendra’s article, Revisiting Early Photography: Ethics, Legal Constructs, and the Seligmans’ Legacy, takes us through the ethical dilemmas of early photography in anthropology, particularly regarding indigenous peoples. She explores how these images, intended for research, often perpetuated power imbalances and cultural misunderstandings.

When we were in Australia a little less than a year ago, I saw something that stuck with me. There, it’s believed that once someone dies, any photos of them should be destroyed. Museums are grappling with this, trying to balance respect for indigenous beliefs with their role as cultural custodians. It’s not just about preserving history, it’s about respecting it too.

"There are many parallels in early colonial photography of indigenous peoples. It’s not just Australia—many cultures across the world are still processing the implications of being photographed without understanding the future consequences."

How do we navigate preserving history while respecting the beliefs of those whose stories we tell?

Rocco Venezia

Rocco Venezia’s Nocturnal Twins project, featured on PHROOM, plays with the idea of a repopulated moon—an imaginary scenario that feels increasingly plausible as private entities like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos make real-life plans for space colonization. The project blurs the line between fiction and fact, much like early moon landing conspiracy theories, but now with a distinctly modern twist.

What I find fascinating is how this artwork pushes photography beyond its traditional role as a record of truth. Back in the sixties, photography was considered evidence, yet now we’re in a world where the moon landing hoax feels almost nostalgic. The artwork mirrors real-world proposals, creating an alternate reality that feels... oddly believable.

"The post-truth rise of conspiratorial thinking is something I intensely dislike. So, I guess that means this artwork is having its desired effect on me."

Does this kind of work challenge your perception of what's real?

AI in Visual Arts

The Internet Was the Beginning of a New Folk Artist. Artificial Intelligence May Be Its End.

The article "The Internet Was the Beginning of a New Folk Artist. Artificial Intelligence May Be Its End." by ARTnews explores how generative AI is reshaping the landscape for content creators, drawing parallels with how the Industrial Revolution impacted folk artists. It’s striking that 65% of young people today identify as “creators,” signaling a shift in how we define and consume art.

What’s fascinating to me is how these “creators” are essentially filling the cultural space once held by artists, and platforms like YouTube and TikTok are their galleries. Meanwhile, museums and traditional media are seeing fewer visitors, which makes me wonder: are we witnessing the next phase of art’s evolution?

"In the chase to satisfy the algorithm, the logical progression dictates that content be created en masse to test out the best performing."

Will algorithms decide what art is, or can creators find ways to reclaim authenticity in an AI-driven world?

Instant Photo Roast Generators - Zinger Turns Your Photos into Funny Roasts for Online Sharing

TrendHunter recently highlighted Zinger, a quirky tool that turns your photos into witty roasts. Upload an image, and within seconds, the AI spits out a roast layered with humor. It’s designed for those who want to inject some light-hearted fun into their digital interactions. Given the weight of the world lately, this feels like a breath of fresh air.

I can’t help but laugh at this one. After the whirlwind of hurricane season down here in Florida and the constant political noise, we're in need of some humor relief — and something like Zinger feels perfectly timed.

"Let's please only use it on our own selfies, but the idea of letting an AI roast you feels like the kind of humor we all need right now."

What do you think—would you let an AI roast your pics?

Artificial Intelligence and Creativity

'A Real Leap of Faith': Swiss Auction House to Offer Works Authenticated by AI

A recent piece from The Art Newspaper explores the decision by a Swiss auction house to offer AI-authenticated artworks. The works, by artists like Louise Bourgeois and Marianne von Werefkin, come with certificates from Art Recognition, a Swiss company using AI to verify authenticity. Some are skeptical, while others see it as a way to enhance credibility, as noted by auction house rep Fabio Sidler.

The debate here is fascinating. On one side, there's this idea that trusting AI requires a "real leap of faith," especially in an area as subjective as art. On the other side, AI is being positioned as a tool to support, not replace, human expertise.

"It’s interesting to hear the different takes. One contingent suggests that it takes a real leap of faith for AI to ever evaluate an artwork's provenance. Others argue these are just tools to assist human assessors and make their work more reliable."

Do you trust a machine's eye in a field driven so deeply by human intuition?

Exhibitions & Events

The Living End: Painting and Other Technologies, 1970–2020

The Visualist’s article, The Living End: Painting and Other Technologies, 1970–2020, digs into the persistent idea that painting is dead—an idea critics have been toying with for decades. However, as the article highlights, artists have continually reinvigorated the medium, blending it with technology to keep it evolving over the last 50 years.

Now, consider this: painting itself is a form of technology. It may not have a circuit board, but it’s a tool, a system, a way to process and represent ideas. When you think about it, every brushstroke is a kind of algorithm, a coded message waiting to be decoded through the viewer’s eye and mind.

"If you see painting as static, you’re missing the point. It's always been about process, iteration, and adaptation. Isn’t that essentially technology?"

So, is painting just a relic of the past, or is it still a tech-driven art form at its core?

Visions Of Nature: A Mixed Reality Experience At London’s Natural History Museum

The article by Forbes covers the Natural History Museum’s Visions of Nature experience, a mixed-reality exhibit that uses Microsoft’s Hololens 2 to immerse visitors in future ecosystems. Developed alongside the French studio Saola, the exhibit lets users interact with digital creatures, such as a whale hybrid or a crab entangled in plastic, while moving through the museum’s physical space.

I haven’t spent much time with AR headsets beyond some cheap Google versions from a while back, but I can see how a vast museum space brings out the potential for these experiences. It’s a setting where you’re already primed for discovery—so why not augment it?

“As the experience starts, a large wild cat walks past and a tall tree appears in the corridor in front of you... With all of these, you can move close and examine the creatures in detail as you move around them.”

Have any of you tried this? How did it stack up to other immersive exhibits you’ve seen?

Tech in Art Education

Texas A&M’s Visualization Graduate Programs Merge Art and Technology

Texas A&M’s graduate programs in Visualization, as highlighted by the original article from pvfa.tamu.edu, offer a unique blend of art and technology. Full funding is available for MFA students, and MS students have access to scholarships and assistantships. The programs emphasize areas like augmented reality, game design, and data visualization, preparing students to become leaders in both creative and technical fields.

What I love about this program is how it reflects the core values of a liberal arts education. It’s not just about mastering a skill—it's about combining critical thinking with creativity to approach technology from a humanistic perspective.

"The Master of Science in Visualization integrates art and technology to prepare students to become creative and pragmatic leaders. The program fosters the development of focused expertise and a broad foundation of knowledge in the artistic, scientific, cognitive, and technical aspects of the discipline."

Isn’t that exactly what art in tech—and tech in art—should be about?

Future Trends in Art and Tech

Design trends for 2025: creative leaders share their vision for the future

The article from Creative Boom explores predictions for 2025, revealing how AI will shift from being a behind-the-scenes tool to driving final design outputs. Yet, with AI’s rise, we’re also seeing a counter-trend: a resurgence of physical, handcrafted experiences and human connection. Designers are pushing back against mass production, embracing craft and sustainability.

Here's the thing: like my photography professor said, a thing only exists in relation to what it is not. AI's prevalence makes us value the imperfections of human touch even more. It’s no surprise that as AI generates flawless designs, we crave the warmth of craft, the tangible, and the personal.

"The faster technology moves, the more we'll see a counter-trend emerge: a return to handcrafted, human-centred design," predicts Kiser Barnes from Red Antler.

So, the question is: as we speed towards an AI-driven future, how will you balance between the digital and the deeply human?

How Artists Improvise and Provoke Robotics

The piece by Steve Benford on arXiv explores how artists collaborate with roboticists, blending improvisation and provocation to challenge robotic research. Projects like Brendan Walker’s Broncomatic and Blast Theory’s Cat Royale illustrate how creative minds can push the boundaries of traditional robotics, often forcing researchers to rethink their methods in real-time.

What I appreciate most is how these collaborations bring out something unexpected. As artists improvise with robotic technologies, they expose blind spots in the design process, encouraging researchers to adapt and evolve their work.

"Artists are skilled at improvising extended robot experiences that surface opportunities for technology-focused design, but which also require researchers to improvise their research processes."

So, where does this leave us? These kinds of collaborations seem to ask: can we, too, rethink our relationship with technology when we allow creativity to disrupt the standard ways of working?

The Last Word

I appreciate you taking the time to explore these topics with me. Your engagement is what makes these discussions meaningful. If any story caught your attention or made you think differently, I would love to hear from you. Let's keep exploring the fascinating intersection of art and technology together.

Best, Juergen