Explore intersection of art and AI at Jepson Center's PULSE ART + Technology Festival

One of the most controversial conversations happening in the art world right now is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative endeavors.

Many artists and writers are leery of advanced AI art generators, worried that apps like ChatGTP and Midjourney will take paid work away from human beings. Artists on the other side of the argument believe that AI is merely another creative tool to take advantage of.

Jepson and Telfair Children’s Art Museum are exploring AI art with the latest PULSE Art + Technology Festival.

“We’re trying to encourage folks to think about tech, not only as something that we consume, but something that has a lot of creative potential—even in the age of AI,” said Harry DeLorme, Director of Education and Senior Curator.

Savannah-area artists and universities exhibit works in PULSE Art + Technology Festival

This year’s PULSE is showcasing work by artists from the local community in a PULSE Projects exhibition titled “Analog to AI.” The variety of projects take advantage of new and old technology including Chat bots, LED lights, and GIFS.

Work’s include Will Penny’s Small Talk which encourages visitors to speak with a kitschy toy enhanced by AI.

“It really speaks to the absurdity of what we’re encountering,” explained DeLorme. “We find ourselves talking to objects on a regular basis, whether it’s phones or cars or smart speakers. Will has been getting some attention for that piece and it may go to a national exhibition, so we’re very excited to present it in a gallery space for the first time.”

Posthumanism is a SCAD group project that presents a cyberpunk aesthetic of tubes and wires and incorporates ChatGTP to connects it to the viewer’s image in a series of small screens.

Another piece looks at our relationship with phones and handheld devices and allows us to provide comfort to a stressed-out phone.

Katie Hagen’s Glow uses LED lights to weave a remarkable sculpture, and Bryce Winter’s A Lossy Existence features a series of GIFs that pose questions about the human experience.

There are a couple of projects from unexpected places including a work from Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus that uses GIFs in an unconventional way.

“It’s going back to the use of animated GIF files, but creating a serious statement with something that’s not aligned with something we think of as GIFS in terms of emblems and reactions,” said DeLorme.

Georgia Tech is setting up a community map making data art project that connects the museum’s current exhibition about birds with looking at bird data from the Savannah area. People will be able to provide their own data and bird sightings to assist the project.

“It’s a group of projects that I think are a nice representation of some of the artists that have done interesting things with tech in Savannah in the past year,” added DeLorme.

Movies, dancing and family day at Jepson Center and Telfair Children's Art Museum

There are plenty of other activities at PULSE including a student talk on Friday by speakers Stephen Nottingham, Chief Executive Officer, FREN Inc., and Inwon Jong, Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer, FREN Inc. who will be going behind the scenes of the amazing design and technologies used to create the new interactive children’s museum. The lecture is open to students from elementary to high school.

On Friday evening, PULSE will be presenting a special screening of a classic sci-fi anime created by three of the greatest artists in Japanese film and animation history. Details about the screening can be found at the Telfair’s website.

“It’s a cool film and one you can’t find easily on streaming services right now,” promised DeLorme.

Saturday is Family Day at the Jepson and visitors can experience several activities including LED pin making, artist projections, and a performance by the Tybee Ballet Theater.

“The great thing about the founders of the Tybee Ballet is that they are really open to doing things a little differently,” said DeLorme. “They’ve always been open to experimentation.

“It’s very art focused. There is image creation involved in that the dancers are using themselves to create a calligraphic effect with white costumes against the black floor of the stage and projected on stage. Projection has been a key component they’ve done with us over the years.”

PULSE is a free and family-friendly event that appeals to every generation. It has consistently been one of the biggest draws to the Jepson Museum with about a thousand people typically visiting that day.

“We want to offer something that provides that sense of wonder, something that provides visitors with something strange and unexpected but hopefully enjoyable and put a smile on your face,” said DeLorme. “And ideally, make you think, as well. That’s what PULSE has been about.”

If You Go >>

What: PULSE Art + Technolgy Festival 2024

When: Jan. 26-27

Where: Jepson Center & Telfair Children’s Art Museum, 207 W. York St.

Cost: Free for Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, Liberty, Jasper, and Beaufort County residents

Info: telfair.org

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Intersection of art and AI at Jepson's PULSE Art and Technology Festival