Concordia’s Milieux Institute takes a leading role at the MUTEK Forum

From August 20 to 25, Montreal will become a global hub of digital creativity as it hosts the 25th edition of the MUTEK Festival.

This year, Concordia faculty and students will play a significant role in the programming of the MUTEK Forum. The event brings together artists and companies from the digital creation and electronic music fields to explore innovative artistic practices while stimulating reflection on the ethical and political issues related to technology and the digital world.

Representatives from Concordia’s Milieux Institute and Applied AI Institute will be key participants when the forum focuses on the intersection of environmental sustainability and AI.

"Wilding AI Lab" is a ground-breaking showcase that will provide Milieux members with an opportunity to present their research or research-creation project, exploring the latest advancements in generative, creative AI.

The institutes will also collaborate on a panel titled "Into the Wild: Designing AI in Retrograde," which delves into creating sustainable AI systems inspired by ecology.

For Maurice Jones, a curator and PhD candidate at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture, Concordia’s participation is pivotal in fostering conversations about technology and society.

"In festivals like MUTEK, there's an intentional push to create an open space for things to happen," he says. "This dynamic environment makes it easier to address the latest societal issues, and the temporality of festivals — being intense and brief — gives them a unique power to inspire and provoke thought."

A good example of this will be a panel on designing AI systems grounded in Indigenous Knowledge (IK) to better serve Indigenous communities and beyond, led by the Abundant Intelligences research-creation program co-principal investigator Jason Lewis.

The program focuses on developing culturally sensitive AI that acknowledges diverse forms of intelligence, with a panel discussing the intersections of neuroscience, AI, art and IK.

‘A societal thermometer’

AI has been a focal point at MUTEK for several years, evolving from a niche interest to a major societal concern. Jones recalls how the festival has consistently hosted AI labs, bringing together artists, researchers and engineers to explore AI's impact on creative practices. This year, the discussions will address the broader societal implications of AI, including issues like copyright and creativity.

"Festivals like MUTEK can act as a societal thermometer, addressing the latest issues and providing a space for dialogue and learning," Jones explains.

By engaging with these discussions, attendees can leave feeling more informed and less helpless about the rapid technological advancements shaping our world.

Concordia's involvement at MUTEK is not limited to panel discussions. The university is also supporting a performance keynote by Berlin-based artist Portrait XO, who will visualize a century's worth of climate data anomalies through performance. This artistic deconstruction aims to reveal the methodologies behind the data, further emphasizing the festival's blend of art and technology.

Consult the full program of the MUTEK Forum, taking place August 20 to 23 at the Monument-National and the Society for Arts and Technology.