Photo by X.A. Li

Sunday, March 17, 2024
2:00 PM
Free
Experimental Sound Studio
5925 North Ravenswood Ave

In a talk titled "Undiscerning Mirrors," X. A. Li will discuss the aesthetic possibilities of deep neural networks given both their architectural constraints and societal context. How can artists approach machine learning systems critically and inventively, beyond assuming the functional paradigms established by scientists and tech companies? The talk will be followed by a performance of paired video and sound pieces Instruction and Ecstasies, exploring the dogma of self-optimization amplified, embodied, and refracted by algorithms.

About the Artist

X. A. Li (b. 1991) is an artist and computer scientist based in Chicago. Using video, sound, text, and software, she creates installations and performances excavating contemporary systems of power by applying dominant technologies in atypical ways. She holds an M.S. from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where her research focused on generative artificial intelligence, and a B.A. from the University of Chicago. She performs audiovisual works as Post Consumer Material in collaboration with sound artist Estlin Usher. 

Video still from FULL-TIME (2024). Video, sound, interactive devices, custom software. 

This series is supported by the mediaThe Foundation.