Temporary Public Artwork, June-July 2024
By Betty Sargeant AI.
MATERIALS: 3-Channel Video Artwork on a Designed Wall. SIZE: 10m x 3.5m.
COMMISSIONED BY: Mornington Peninsula Shire Public Art Program.
SELF-PORTRAIT of an AI offers a glimpse into the mind of an artificial intelligence. This artwork, created by the groundbreaking AI robot, Betty Sargeant AI, is a fusion of abstract geometric patterns, typography and videoart.
SELF-PORTRAIT of an AI is a thought-provoking public artwork that challenges viewers to consider the identity and consciousness of artificial intelligence. It offers a unique perspective on the role of AI in society. The installation was accompanied by town hall discussions and information sessions, improving people’s digital literacy by helping them understand the nuances of AI and the issues surrounding this technology.
DISCLAIMER
***This is real art made by a fake robot – no AI was used in making this work. This project involves robot impersonation. Betty Sargeant AI is a satirical provocation that operates as a catalyst for deep consideration of AI futures. At a time when AIs impersonate humans, Betty Sargeant is impersonating the machine***
ARTIST STATEMENT
Through this artwork I explore the paradox of our current technological moment. We are simultaneously captivated by AI’s potential and anxious about its implications. This installation uses robot impersonation as a critical tool to examine these tensions, inviting audiences to look beyond the spectacle and engage with fundamental questions about what it means to be human in an age of intelligent machines.
THE TEAM
Betty Sargeant AI: Artist and producer.
Georgia Rouette: Curator
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Betty Sargeant lives and works on the land of the Bunurong people and the Yallakut-Willam clan who are Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation (Australia). Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. Betty Sargeant respectfully acknowledges the ongoing struggles and achievements of First Nations custodians. Sovereignty was never ceded.
