22 – 26 May 2024
Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington and online
Early bird tickets on sale from 27 March – 6 May
Who is listening? How did it know? Where to next?
The Aotearoa Digital Arts Network (ADA) is delighted to announce the full line up of events for its 2024 symposium Rising Algorithms: Navigate, Automate, Dream.
Rising Algorithms: Navigate, Automate, Dream explores the increasing sophistication of machine learning and artificial intelligence, its growing accessibility for artists and the general consumer, and its influence on wider society as we navigate complex environmental, social and economic issues worldwide. In our digitally ubiquitous era, we ask if technology can solve the wicked problems of our time or if it is exacerbating them? How have powerful machine learning-driven tools impacted contemporary cultural production? How are artists in Aotearoa navigating this shifting landscape?
Over one week in Wellington artists, technologists and critical thinkers will delve into these questions, all with a spirit of open enquiry guided by the symposium’s three themes, navigate, automate and dream.
Audiences will be able to discover the landscape of art, machine learning and AI through a wide range of creative experiences and approaches. These include a new, site-responsive commission from Julian Oliver popping up on rooftops around the city, group exhibitions at The Engine Room and null gallery, online artworks, and a performance evening at Vogelmorn Community Precinct.
Those who want to explore the creative possibilities of AI tools will have an opportunity to learn through hands-on workshops at two/fiftyseven on Friday 24 May.
Finally, over the weekend of 25 – 26 May, a full program of symposium talks and panel discussions will take place at the Te Aro campus of Te Herenga Waka. The two day program will explore the breadth of our creative and critical engagement with machine learning. As part of our weekend program, ADA will present three keynote discussions led by Julian Oliver, Eugene Hansen (Maniopoto) and Emele Ugavule (Tokelau, Fiji).
Rising Algorithms: Navigate, Automate, Dream is made possible with the support of our presenting partner Toi Hourua and funding from Creative New Zealand and Wellington City Council. Our symposium venues have been made possible through the generosity of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, Vogelmorn Community, Michael Sutton of AWACS Communications (NZ) Ltd, and two/fiftyseven. Exhibition partners include The Engine Room at Massey University and null gallery
Contents
Schedule
Locations
Exhibitions
Performance Evening
Workshops
ADA AGM
Access
Code of Conduct
Covid Safety
Schedule
Friday 17 May
| 19:00 – 21:00 | AI in context: an/aesth/ethics of language and infrastructure. Exhibition opening – null gallery, 30 Arthur Street, Te Aro |
Wednesday 22 May
| 17:30 – 20:00 | The chronicle of < a new love order > Exhibition opening – The Engine Room, Massey University |
Thursday 23 May
| 12:00 – 16:00 | The chronicle of < a new love order > Exhibition open – The Engine Room, Massey University |
| 17:30 onwards | The Closed World, Julian Oliver Exhibition opening – Dominion Observatory Garden Battery, Wellington Botanic Gardens, Kelburn |
Friday 24 May
| 9:00 – 12:00 | Workshop – two/fiftyseven Navigating Wonderland: An AI-Powered Creative Journey, Victoria Campbell |
| 12:30 – 15:30 | Workshop – two/fiftyseven AI-Enhanced 3D Content Creation in Media Arts, Lukasz Mirocha |
| 13:00 – 16:00 | Workshop – two/fiftyseven Imagining and Generating Virtual Worlds, DOTDOT |
| 12:00 – 16:00 | The chronicle of < a new love order > Exhibition open – The Engine Room, Massey University |
| 16:00 – 18:00 | Mihi Whakatau and Whakawhanaungatanga Vogelmorn Upstairs, 93 Mornington Road, Brooklyn |
| 18:00 – 19:00 | Dinner |
| 17:30 – 21:30 | The Closed World, Julian Oliver Vogelmorn Green, 93 Mornington Road, Brooklyn |
| 19:30 – 21:00 | Performance Evening – Vogelmorn Upstairs Josh Bailey, Emele Ugavule, Lisa Samuels |
Saturday 25 May
| 9:00 – 9:45 | Conference Registration Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington (Te Aro Campus) |
| 9:45 – 10:00 | Conference Welcome |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | Keynote One – Machine Cult, Julian Oliver |
| Break | |
| 11:20 – 13:00 | Session One: Algorithmic Music Dr Fabio Morreale, Harri Robinson, Martyn Pepperell and Jack Gittings |
| Break (lunch) | |
| 13:30 – 14:45 | Session Two: Creative Possibilities and Technical Details Delainy Jamahl, Lukasz Mirocha, Jacques Foottit and Kate Stevenson |
| Break | |
| 15:05 – 16:20 | Session Three: Unpacking the underlying cultural assumptions of machine learning Joe Citizen, Johnson Witehira and Sala |
| 16:30 – 17:30 | Session Four: Zen, Robotics and Consciousness Sophie Jerram, Ollie Hutton and Adam Ben-Dror |
| Break | |
| 19:00 – 20:30 | Keynote Two Panel Discussion: AI’s implications for contemporary Māori arts, Convened by Eugene Hansen |
| 17:30 – 21:30 | The Closed World, Julian Oliver Vogelmorn Green, 93 Mornington Road, Brooklyn |
Sunday 26 May
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Conference Registration Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington (Te Aro Campus) |
| The Backyard of Weird Creatures, Daniela Souza with Natália Macedo and Karina Senise Performance – Online at upstage.live/ | |
| 10:00 – 11:10 | Session Five: Artists Mining the Machine Fraser Austin, Toby Eglesfield, Chris Berthelsen, Rumen Rachev, and Adam Ben-Dror, and Stu Sontier |
| Break | |
| 11:30 – 12:30 | Keynote Three – E fano ki fea na ugauga?, Emele Ugavule |
| Break (lunch) | |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Session Six: Understanding the Human Through the Reflection of AI David Ciccoricco, Chris Berthelsen and Makoto Yokomichi |
| Poroporoaki (30 minute wrap-up) | |
| 14:30 – 16:00 | ADA AGM |
Locations
Workshops:
two/fiftyseven, Level 2, 57 Willis Street, Wellington Central
Performance Evening:
Vogelmorn Community Precinct, 93 Mornington Road, Brooklyn
Symposium:
Exhibitions:
The Engine Room. College of Creative Arts, Massey University, Entrance C, Block 1 Te Whare Pukākā, 63 Wallace Street, Mount Cook
null gallery, 30 Arthur Street, Te Aro
The Closed World,
23 May: Dominion Observatory Garden Battery, Wellington Botanic Gardens, Kelburn
24 May – 1 June: Vogelmorn Green, 93 Mornington Road, Brooklyn
Exhibitions
The chronicle of < a new love order >
Simon Endres, Kat Lang, Erica Sklenars, Shannon Novak, Miranda Bellamy and Amanda Fauteux
22 May – 14 June
Opening Wednesday 22 May 17:30 – 19:30
Open 12:00 – 16:00 weekdays
The Engine Room, 63 Wallace Street, Mount Cook
AI in context: an/aesth/ethics of language and infrastructure
Projects by Roman Mitch, Fraser Austin, Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler.
Curated and produced by Walter Langelaar.
17 May – 1 June 2024
Opening Friday 17 May 7pm
null gallery, 30 Arthur Street, Te Aro
The Closed World – Julian Oliver
23 – 25 May and 30 May – 1 June
17:30 – 21:30
23 May: Dominion Observatory Garden Battery, Wellington Botanic Gardens, Kelburn
24 May – 1 June: Vogelmorn Green, 93 Mornington Road, Brooklyn
Performance Evening
Josh Bailey, Lisa Samuels, and Emele Ugavule
Friday, 24 May
19:30 – 21:00
Vogelmorn Community Precinct, 93 Mornington Road, Brooklyn
The performance evening will present a program of co-performed and delegated works across music, movement, theatre and performance poetry. Featuring works from artists: Josh Bailey, Lisa Samuels, and Emele Ugavule
Workshops
Navigating Wonderland: An AI-Powered Creative Journey – Victoria Campbell
Friday 24 May
09:00 – 12:00
two/fiftyseven, Level 2, 57 Willis Street, Wellington Central
AI-Enhanced 3D Content Creation in Media Arts: Unveiling the Power of Neural Radiance Fields and 3D Gaussian Splatting – Lukasz Mirocha
Friday 24 May
12:30 – 15:30
two/fiftyseven, Level 2, 57 Willis Street, Wellington Central
Imagining and Generating Virtual Worlds – DOTDOT
Friday 24 May
13:00 – 16:00
two/fiftyseven, Level 2, 57 Willis Street, Wellington Central
ADA AGM
Sunday 26 May
14:30 – 16:00
Following the Symposium, all are welcome to attend the ADA Annual General Meeting. To attend online, please RSVP to admin@ada.net.nz for a link.
Access
Our three main venues two/fiftyseven, Vogelmorn Upstairs, and the Te Aro Campus of Te Herenga Waka are wheelchair accessible.
TwoFiftySeven is an entirely flat access venue with elevators up to the space from the ground level. They have two accessible toilets.
Vogelmorn Upstairs can be accessed by a (narrow) ramp on the right side of the building and assistance can be provided. The venue has one accessible toilet. Food can be ordered to be brought upstairs from the downstairs restaurant.
Te Aro Campus has elevators up to the space from the ground level and one accessible toilet. The auditorium is raked, with a dedicated seating area for wheelchairs at the bottom. There is one mobility carpark at the rear of the building for self drive vehicles. Access through the rear needs to be facilitated by onsite security. A drop off area can be found at the front of the building.
There will be a low-sensory break out space available to symposium attendees at the Te Aro campus.