On the eve of Singapore’s 2065 Centennial, an adolescent satellite comes to Earth hoping to become the first AI artist. Faced with a world that limits its freedom, Geomancer must come to terms with its militarised origins, a search that begins with a mysterious syndicate known as the Sinofuturists…
Lawrence Lek’s film alights on a longstanding tension between the place of the human and the role of the machine, sharpened by contemporary hopes and anxieties around the rise of East Asia, and by speculations that new forms of artificial intelligence will challenge the principles on which our understanding of art rests. Featuring video game animation, a neural network-generated dream sequence, and a synthesised vocal soundtrack, this 48-minute charts the creative awakening of artificial intelligence and the aesthetics of posthuman consciousness.
The screening is part of a year long collaboration between ArtReview and Modern Forms which takes as a point of departure the complex systems – ecological, technological and political – that shape our world. The screening programme complements a series of talks, videos and texts considering the role of art in pioneering new ways of thinking about our relationship to reality, and to each other.
With thanks to the artist and to Sadie Coles HQ, London.
