REDCAT in Los Angeles opened an AI-themed group exhibition titled All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace. The title of the exhibition takes its cue from the 1967 poem by Richard Brautigan of the same name, in which the poet envisions a future “where mammals and computers / live together in mutually / programming harmony.” The show is part of the city-wide event PST ART, organized by Getty.
This idyllic vision permeates the exhibition's exploration of pressing issues surrounding both the advent of AI and the modes of its integration into different aspects of society. The impact that this has had is felt equally by non-Western, Indigenous, feminist and nonbinary communities. Both the exhibition and the associated performance series present themselves as a forum where non-standard systems of thought can engage in contemplation of the role of AI in our lives.
These concerns and novel conceptions of technology and intelligence are expressed through a broad range of art forms, with visual art and performance taking center stage, providing a venue for the expression of alternatives which have their source in nonhegemonic and and decolonial worldviews. Works by Nora Al-Badri, Mashinka Firunts-Hakopian, Kite, Interspecifics, Charmaine Poh and Back to Back Theatre will present an understanding of AI which alters our perception of human and nonhuman connection.
The exhibition and performances will be presented at REDCAT and its partner venues through February 23, 2025. More information about this and other shows can be found at their site.