The Intersect: Art in Tech and Tech in Art - From Analog Roots to Digital Futures

Greetings from Juergen

Hi everyone,

In this edition, we’re embarking on a journey through the intersection of traditional artistry and cutting-edge technology. We highlight films that shine a light on Native American stories, demonstrating how technology can amplify voices that might otherwise be overlooked. There's also a thoughtful piece on how guided visualizations can be a powerful tool for artists to imagine and achieve success.

We’ll explore how AI is revolutionizing interior design with platforms like Collov, offering personalized insights that blend creativity and technology seamlessly. And for those intrigued by nature’s design principles, we delve into biomimicry's role in creating sustainable architecture. Each story invites us to rethink how art and tech not only coexist but enhance each other, pushing creative boundaries.

Listen to "The Intersect: Art in Tech and Tech in Art" podcast, where we discuss this week's stories with fresh insights and engaging conversation. Subscribe today for more!

Film & Video

7 Films Spotlighting Native American Artists and Stories

Exploring the latest piece from All Arts spotlighting Native American artists in film, it’s clear that technology’s role in art is vast and varied. This article highlights the intersection of film and Native American artistry, a field rich with stories and perspectives that deserve our attention. As we curate "The Intersect," it's essential to acknowledge both emerging technologies and those established over the past decade.

Our question about whether to focus solely on cutting-edge tools like AI is thought-provoking. "My take is that any tech, even 'old' film-making tech, is relevant for our curations. These technologies are the backbone of storytelling, bridging the traditional with the contemporary.

"We haven’t featured any film art in our newsletter recently, and also not any Native American Art. All of these films, of course, use 'Tech' in some ways."

Should our focus widen to include traditional tech tools, or should we stay the course with only the latest tech trends? Your insights are welcome.

Definitely Not AI

Guided Visualization for Artistic Success

Eric Maisel’s post, Guided Visualization for Artistic Success, presents a step-by-step process to center your creative energy and imagine your path to achievement. It’s a practical, calming exercise designed to help artists envision their success and reconnect with their creative purpose. Maisel credits ChatGPT for the visualization, which guides you through imagining your ideal creative space, witnessing your art’s impact, and overcoming doubts.

Honestly, I enjoyed this process. Visualizing artistic success felt grounding, even energizing. I’m looking forward to trying it tomorrow while working on a new acoustic guitar composition. There’s something powerful about mapping out the creative journey in your mind—it can flip procrastination into anticipation.

“Mistakes feel like opportunities, and challenges excite you rather than deter you.” This line hit home. It’s a mindset I want to carry more intentionally into my work—letting the process itself feel rewarding.

How often do we stop to imagine success as vividly as we imagine failure?

Design

Collov AI Search Offers Personalized Home Design Insights and Inspiration

Collov AI Search is highlighted by Ellen Smith for its innovative approach to home design, leveraging AI to tailor recommendations to individual preferences. This AI-driven platform offers personalized insights and inspiration, making the home design process more intuitive and customized. The article from Trend Hunter emphasizes Collov's ability to transform how users engage with interior design by providing expert advice and fresh ideas, whether for a single room or an entire home makeover.

Reflecting on my years of experience in marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), the advancement of AI search in platforms like Collov is both fascinating and a natural progression of the SEO practices I've honed. The intersection of digital strategy and creative design is becoming more seamless, offering new opportunities to personalize and enhance user experience in ways that were once imagined only in conceptual discussions.

"For about a decade, SEO was an interesting, creative, and somewhat lucrative practice that I honed. Now custom AI search is increasingly appearing in industry vertical applications."

Can AI-driven tools like Collov redefine the future of a more creative form of SEO, merging art with technology in unprecedented ways?

Architecture

Nature-Inspired Resilience: Biomimicry in Generative Design

Generative design, as highlighted in Nature-Inspired Resilience: Biomimicry in Generative Design, taps into nature’s resilience through biomimicry to create adaptable, sustainable structures. The article explains how computational algorithms mimic organic forms to optimize buildings for strength and harmony with ecosystems. I find this approach to be a refreshing shift from traditional design methods that often start with commercial materials.

What excites me is how these algorithms could break free from templated materials and embrace techniques like 3D printing. If we can scale this and make it cost-efficient, we could see a real change in how we build here on Earth LOL. (We recently featured articles about 3D printing habitats in challenging environments like Mars.)

"Our design thinking often starts with what's available commercially. Biomimicry forces us to learn from nature's time-tested solutions, and that’s a perspective we desperately need."

Could generative design be the key to rethinking how we create sustainable habitats in extreme environments?

Art & Science

Rose Salane: Fission, or Eclipse at The Athenaeum at the University of Georgia, Athens

Carlos Nunez’s review on Burnaway explores Rose Salane’s exhibition, Fission or, Eclipse, at the University of Georgia’s Athenaeum. The show weaves decommissioned traffic lenses, photograms, and historical documents into a meditation on material preservation and invisible data. Salane’s use of technology, like photogravures tied to a 19th-century eclipse and Einstein’s letters on atomic energy, bridges past and present, art and research.

The University of Georgia holds a special place in my heart—it’s where I studied photography before heading to New York to experiment with special effects photography in the '80s. Salane’s work resonates deeply with me, especially her ability to pull narratives from technologies as seemingly mundane as traffic lights.

“The intersection of art and technology predates my experience, but exhibitions like this remind me how much creativity thrives in these connections.”

How do objects—traffic lenses, cardboard boxes—hold such powerful stories about our shared history?

Creator Platforms and Tools

This AI Image Generator that Went Viral for Its Realistic Images Gets a Major Upgrade

Black Forest Labs’ recent announcement, covered by ZDNET, introduces FLUX.1 Tools—a suite of AI-powered image editing features that push the boundaries of creative control. These tools, including Fill, Depth, Canny, and Redux, let users modify and refine images with impressive precision, from inpainting to structural conditioning. They’re open-access and available via the FLUX.1 platform and API. The potential here is undeniable, even if it stirs up questions about unchecked AI use.

I’ve been revisiting my photography roots, experimenting with AI tools to edit iPhone images. Enlarging, removing distractions, and even reshaping compositions to reflect the intent behind the shot—it’s been a fascinating process. Sure, it may raise eyebrows, but as someone who once built pinhole cameras from scratch, I think I’ve earned the right to push some boundaries myself.

"There’s something poetic about using AI to revisit and reinterpret the inspirations that sparked the original photograph in the first place."

How do we reconcile creative experimentation with the ethical concerns these tools inevitably raise?

Virtual and Augmented Reality in Art

Exploring the Benefits of Virtual Museum Tours

The article from Webobook explores the benefits of virtual museum tours, highlighting accessibility, education, and sustainability as key advantages. While I see the value in making art more accessible, I'm not sure I'm ready to embrace virtual museums just yet. What I crave more is a richer, more immersive experience in the actual museum space.

"Every museum I attend and visit leaves me yearning for better explanations, contextual stories, and narratives about what I’m seeing. In other words, a real, lived experience."

Before we dive into virtual realms, I think museums need to better master augmented reality to enhance the physical experience. Imagine walking through an exhibit and having AR bring the backstories of the art to life right in front of you.

Are we rushing into virtual too fast without improving the real-world experience first?

AR(t) Comes Alive at French Artist Aurélien Jeanney’s Latest Augmented Reality Exhibition

French artist Aurélien Jeanney’s Looki Look exhibition, as detailed in The Hindu by Nainu Oommen, blends augmented reality (AR) with playful, interactive art. On display at Alliance Française de Trivandrum until December 18, it invites visitors to scan posters with a custom app, uncovering hidden objects amidst geometric designs inspired by experiences ranging from Indian temples to French catacombs.

This got me thinking: AR in art, while fascinating, feels like it’s been riding the same wave for a while now. Holding up your phone to engage with art—essentially turning your device into a digital viewfinder—feels a bit dated.

"With the pace of advancement in artificial intelligence over the last few years, it appears VR and AR art is ready for the next phase. Perhaps if smart glasses ever become powerful, lightweight, and widely adopted, those could be possibilities."

Has AR art matured enough to become mainstream, or is it just waiting for its next leap forward?

Art and Politics

Congress Passes Bill That Gives Presidents the Power to Designate Art Nonprofits ‘Terrorist Organizations’

On Thursday, the U.S. House passed H.R. 9495, as reported by ArtNews. The bill gives the Secretary of Treasury unchecked power to label nonprofits as “terrorist organizations” and revoke their tax-exempt status—no proof required, no evidence disclosed. Critics, including the ACLU, warn this could devastate arts nonprofits, which often promote dissenting voices and social justice. If passed by the Senate, it could silence some of the most vital cultural institutions in the country.

First, they’ll come for the artists. It’s chilling to see arts nonprofits so openly targeted. These organizations preserve freedom of expression and challenge authority—precisely why they’re often the first in the crosshairs of authoritarian tactics. We’ve seen this playbook before, and it doesn’t end well.

“In any other context, this legislation would be seen for what it is, a play from the authoritarian leader’s playbook,” said Amnesty International's Paul O’Brien.

What happens to creativity when dissent is treated like a crime?

Prominent Artist In Hong Kong Sentenced To Six Years In Prison For “Subversion”

A recent piece by Artnet highlights the sentencing of artist and former Hong Kong district council member Clarisse Yeung to six years in prison under the national security law. Yeung, known for her role in archiving art from the 2014 pro-democracy protests, is one of 45 figures convicted for participating in a 2020 unofficial primary election. Her case underscores Beijing’s tightening grip on dissent, as creative expression becomes entangled with political suppression.

Can we imagine a society where artists in the U.S. face criminal charges for how their work is interpreted? Artistic expression thrives on challenging norms, but in such a future, creativity could become collateral damage in political conflicts. This isn’t just about artists—it’s about preserving spaces for dialogue and critique.

“Interpreting artwork is deeply subjective. What one sees as dissent, another may view as essential commentary. Penalizing artists risks arbitrary enforcement and undermines justice.”

What happens to society when art, our mirror and catalyst for progress, is silenced?

The Last Word

Thank you for taking the time to explore these narratives with me. Your engagement and curiosity are what drive these conversations forward. If any of these stories spark a thought or question, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s continue to celebrate the rich dialogue between art and technology together.

Warm regards, Juergen