Welcome to The Intersect, where we like to unpack the sometimes really fascinating and always complex relationship between art and technology. And if you're new to the show, we base each of these shows on a collection of stories that are all handpicked by our expert, Juergen Burkassel. He brings this like super unique blend of artistry and tech know how to the table. And today we're going to be looking at his issue 45 of his newsletter. I always find his point of view really insightful. So get ready for some thought provoking stuff. Because Juergen always seems to have this knack for, like, spotting those undercurrents that are shaping the creative world.

You know, it's interesting. His background is really fascinating. I mean, he started out in fine arts and music. He was actually a special effects photographer back in the 90s. Yeah, and then he moved into music production. And he was an early adopter of, like, computer programming when all of that was just starting to impact the creative world. And from there, he went into technology development, product design. And he has worked with all these different arts related institutions and non profits. So I think that's what makes his perspective on the intersection of art and tech so valuable. Okay, so let's jump into what he curated, starting with Geoffrey Pugin's exhibition, Webptology, Prisms.

I know you were initially intrigued by all the visual elements, right? Yeah, talking AI generated textures 3d modeling and then there's like salvage materials creating these almost speculative landscapes Plus there are these really interesting video sculptures one of a black hole and one of a crystal that represent entropy and renewal

Yeah, and this paper described it as poetic and haunting

I can see why. Those

visuals are pretty striking. But I think what Juergen does, he goes beyond that, and he's using the exhibition to kind of point to a bigger trend he's seeing. And that is just this huge number of exhibitions that are using a lot of technology these days. And he's kind of wondering if all of these exhibitions are actually, like, pushing the boundaries of what's possible. artistically, or if they're just relying on spectacle and novelty to carry them forward. I mean, I think we've all been to those exhibitions where they just throw in AI or augmented reality or virtual reality for no real reason. It's just like it's there. And so he's wondering if this exhibition might also fall into that category, even though it's really, really visually appealing. Is there any real substance there?

Yeah, that's a really good question. It's like, where's the line between meaningful critique And visual spectacle in tech based art. Like, is it enough to use like this really flashy new technology? Or does there need to be a deeper message? And maybe that's what he's kind of grappling with. Yeah. You know? He's asking us to think about whether webtology, prisms, actually pushes the conversation about art and tech forward. Or if it just kind of remixes, like we were saying, those familiar aesthetics.

Yeah, that's something to think about for sure. It's easy to be impressed by something that looks cool, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it's actually like saying anything new or saying anything important.

Absolutely. Okay, so moving on from the visual arts to music, this next pick that you're going to include has to do with the financial side of things. So Spotify just announced a record payout to the music industry. Over 10 billion they're saying they're going to be distributing in 2024. That sounds huge. Yeah, it sounds like a really huge win for artists. I mean, CBC even reported that like 1, 500 artists are projected to earn over a million dollars each just from Spotify.

Yeah.

That's wild.

Yeah. Well, and that's what Juergen is pointing out. That, that kind of figure can be misleading because it's a tiny fraction of the millions of artists on the platform.

Right.

So, while it is true that they are paying out more than they ever have, the reality for a lot of the artists, especially the songwriters, is still pretty grim. And he quotes David Israelite, the president of the National Music Publishers Association, who said that Spotify's figures distort the reality for the vast majority of the songwriters. Most are still only making a tiny fraction of a cent per stream, which, you know, is barely enough to scrape by.

Oh my gosh. It's such a stark contrast, too, when you consider that Spotify CEO Daniel Ek

Mm hmm.

Cashed out like 376 million in stock last year. Yeah. And that is more than every single songwriter in the entire U. S. earned from Spotify. Combined. Yeah.

That's crazy.

The whole streaming model, it's so convenient for listeners, but it's created a system where the majority of the profits are just going straight to the top. Yeah, it makes you wonder about how sustainable the current streaming model is. Is it actually benefiting most artists, or is it really just widening the gap between the haves and the have nots?

That's a good question. I mean, is there a way to make the system more equitable so that the artists creating the music are compensated fairly for their work?

Yeah. And it's not just Spotify. Juergen highlights this trend that's happening where artists are feeling exploited by a lot of these platforms. There's a focus on how companies are using creative content to train their AI systems. Like he references this piece by Julia Bausenhardt that exposes how platforms like Pinterest and Skillshare are actually using content that their users created to train their AI algorithms, but they're not being very transparent about it.

Right.

For example, Pinterest is using saved images now to train its AI and Skillshare is allowing AI companies to analyze video content that their teachers made.

It's definitely a cause for concern. What's especially troubling is that even though they may offer these opt out options, There's no real guarantee that those options are going to be respected or even effective. And this lack of transparency raises questions about artists rights and their control over their work in this digital age.

It's true. I mean, do artists really understand how their work is being used? And do they really have a say in the matter? That's the question. Yeah, it's like this constant struggle for artists to keep control over their creative output when the whole landscape is increasingly driven by all these algorithms and artificial intelligence. But it's not all bad news. Juergen highlights some tools that are actually being developed to help artists protect their work.

Yeah, he mentions Glaze and Nightshade. These tools were designed to help artists prevent their style from being, like, co opted by AI. It's almost like a digital shield for their art.

I love that. A digital shield.

These tools are a direct response to this growing threat of AI appropriation, and they actually do offer a glimmer of hope for artists. It's the artists who want to safeguard their work from being swallowed up by these massive AI data sets.

And some artists are taking a more radical approach and they're moving away from these big platforms. There's definitely a noticeable shift toward smaller and more independent spaces like Blueski and FOO. These platforms were designed to be less exploitative, more focused on building communities and fostering a genuine appreciation for art.

And that movement away from the big platforms raises another question. Could this be the start of a new era for online art communities? One where artists actually have more control over their work, their data, and how it's all being used.

That's a great question. Okay, so now switching gears from the pragmatic to the mystical, Juergen also delves into this world of like AI powered self discovery. Yeah. He found this platform called humandesign. ai, which claims to be able to synthesize these mystical traditions. Astrology, the I Ching, Kabbalah, and even quantum physics, all into this AI driven system that reveals a person's, like, strengths and their life purpose. Wow. Yeah, it's an intriguing concept. It's basically like bottling ancient wisdom into an algorithm.

Yeah.

But Juergen expresses some healthy skepticism about whether an algorithm can really capture the full depth and the nuance of such complex systems.

It's true, and that's what he's concerned about. Reducing these really rich traditions to a series of data points and outputs might be oversimplifying things. He's not dismissing it outright, but he's encouraging everyone to really think critically about whether this is the way that we want to be engaging with these traditions. Is self discovery in this digital age all about instant, automated analysis, or is it really about a deeper and more personal journey of exploration? Yeah,

it's a slippery slope, right? It's like trying to find that balance between accessibility and oversimplification. Okay, so speaking of navigating that balance, the next thing Juergen talks about is a company that's actively positioning itself as the antidote to all this AI noise. We're talking about Scribd. They've done a total rebrand and creative boom covered the story. They're really positioning themselves as this haven for authentic knowledge in this world that's totally saturated with AI generated content.

It's interesting. Their new look. Draws inspiration from physical archives, and it seems like a deliberate move to differentiate themselves from platforms that are driven by these algorithms and all these fleeting trends. They're basically saying, we're all about deep reading, thoughtful engagement, real human connection. We are the complete opposite of the quick hit AI generated content that's flooding the internet.

I love that. And it's a bold move. It seems like Juergen appreciates their stance. He sees a need for platforms that prioritize depths and reward intellectual curiosity. You know, he believes in deep reading and really engaging with the content in this world where we are just constantly bombarded with distractions. That's refreshing. Yeah, but it raises an interesting question though, right? Can a rebrand actually shift public perception, especially in the digital landscape that's so dominated by these huge companies who are constantly vying for our attention? Can Scribd, with its focus on long form content, truly carve out a space for itself in this age of bite sized information?

That's a really good question, and one we can maybe think about more as we continue this conversation and unpack some of the other things that Juergen has pulled out for us. From this quiet haven of Scribd, we're going to be diving into a company that's shaking things up in the gaming industry, and then we're going to delve into the captivating world of immersive art. experiences. So stay tuned.

So we were just talking about Scribd and how they are really trying to position themselves as like a bastion of authentic human knowledge in this world, where we're seeing more and more AI generated content. It's a noble effort and it kind of speaks to this growing desire for spaces that actually foster real intellectual curiosity. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it really does. And speaking of spaces that are like fostering creativity and pushing boundaries. Let's shift gears a little bit and talk about this company that Juergen highlighted in the gaming world, Indomie Studio. They are an all women led game art outsourcing firm, and they're based in Armenia. And their work is really impressive. I mean, they specialize in creating, like, high quality concept art, 3D models, animations, all for studios all over the world.

It's interesting, what I find really fascinating about Indomie is that they're kind of challenging that traditional model of how game art is created. You know, you don't have to have these huge in house teams to produce really stunning visuals. Their success really highlights this growing importance of those specialized independent studios that are part of this whole gaming ecosystem.

Yeah, and Juergen is such a huge advocate for diversity and representation in the gaming industry. And I think Indomi's story is like a perfect example of why that's so important. Having a team that's made up entirely of women, especially in a field that's traditionally been, like you said, very male dominated, it just brings this fresh perspective and a whole different set of skills to the table.

It does, and it also challenges, I think, the often overlooked role of art in game development. You know, so often we focus on the technical aspects, the coding, the gameplay mechanics, but the visual elements are just as crucial because they are what brings that game world to life. You know, it creates atmosphere. It tells a story.

It shapes the player's experience, right? Like how they connect to the game. So kudos to Ndomi for championing both artistic excellence and diversity in a field that, like you said, desperately needs both.

Okay, so speaking of pushing boundaries, Juergen takes us into the world of immersive experiences with his next pick, the SXSW XR Showcase. You know, SXSW is always at the forefront of innovation, and this year's XR exhibit was no exception.

Right. I mean, XR, or extended reality, you know, encompasses virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. It's this, like, rapidly evolving field. What's so interesting about this year's showcase is this shift towards multi user, non headset installations. Forbes highlighted this.

Yeah, and this is a big development because it means that we're moving beyond those limitations of the individual VR headset. And now it's opening up those immersive experiences to larger groups of people so that it can be more of a shared experience instead of just an isolated one. Like, one installation that Juergen mentioned was called In the Current of Being, and it actually uses haptic feedback to allow participants to feel the experiences of an electroshock conversion therapy survivor.

Wow, that's a really powerful example of how XR can be used to create these Deeply personal and impactful narratives. It's not just about the visual immersion anymore, right? Yeah. It's about engaging all those senses and creating a visceral connection to the story.

And then there's another one, All I Know About Teach or Lie, which explores the themes of censorship and digital activism through an interactive XR experience. And what I thought was so interesting is that it doesn't shy away from these really complex social and political issues. It actually uses XR to create this space for dialogue and reflection on those topics.

It's incredible how XR being used to tackle such a diverse range of themes. You have these intensely personal stories, but then also complex social and political issues. It kind of makes you wonder, are these XR experiences just a new form of storytelling, or are they evolving into an entirely new art form?

That's a great question, and one that I think leads us perfectly into this final discussion point from Juergen's curation, an exhibition that explores the kind of eerie side of artificial intelligence.

Yes, ghosts is what it's called. It's curated by Andrew Young at Amsterdam's Upstream Gallery. And the exhibition focuses on these AI generated entities that really blur the line between the real and unreal. It features work by artists like Holly Herndon, Matt Dreyhurst, and Jonas Lund. They're all exploring this unsettling presence of those machine generated figures that kind of mimic human traits but are also distinctly alien.

It's such a fascinating concept and it really ties into that whole idea of the uncanny valley where something looks almost human But it's just slightly off and it gives you this sense of unease Hollow magazine did a piece on this exhibition They described it as a haunting exploration of how AI reflects and distorts our own humanity

And that distortion is what's so captivating and unsettling about the exhibition You're gonna highlight it this quote from that article the ghostly appearances of people in AI generated imagery Reveal how AI looks back at us. Reflecting humanity like a funhouse mirror. And it really captures the essence of the exhibition. It's like AI is holding up this distorted reflection of ourselves.

Yeah, and it makes you wonder, are these AI entities just these digital ghosts? Fleeting creations that exist only in the virtual realm? Or are they a sign of what's to come? A future where the line between human and machine is becoming more and more blurred?

It's a good question. Juergen doesn't give us a definite answer, but he definitely gives us a lot to think about. And this brings us to the end of his picks for this issue. So it's called The Intersect, and you can find it at theintersect. art. It's a fantastic resource for anyone who is curious about where we are headed in terms of creativity and how technology is shaping the art world. So to our listeners, we hope you continue this exploration. You know, go check out The Intersect newsletter at theintersect. art. And until next time, keep those creative sparks flying.