Problem Statement:

Living Surfaces examines how data-driven models and simulations reshape our understanding of climate collapse. It questions how environmental changes and computational realities intersect and challenges the adaptation of AI and machine learning to coexist with nature, urging a reimagining of these technologies to harmonize with the natural world.

Challenge description:

“Living Surfaces” examines how our environment is increasingly viewed as data, rendered in real-time models and simulations. These computational realities, shaped by rules of computation and displayed on screens, have transformed our understanding of climate collapse. The project questions how environmental changes and digital representations intersect across networks, challenging the adaptation of AI and machine learning to coexist symbiotically with nature.

Over the past two centuries, Earth’s surface has been increasingly perceived as an environment shaped by images, connecting the material world with synthetic visual representations. “Living Surfaces” advocates for a shift from purely data-driven models to systems that embrace ecological complexity and sustainability. The challenge is to create technologies that respect and enhance the natural world, rather than overpower it.

Artists are invited to critically engage with the impact of these digital representations and explore technological innovations that align with nature’s rhythms, fostering a balanced and sustainable coexistence. This perspective encourages a transition towards the symbiocene, where technology and nature coexist harmoniously, enhancing rather than harming the environment.

Residency characteristics:

Beta is a new festival in Ireland that explores the intersection of art and technology, making complex themes accessible to the public and reflecting on Ireland’s role as a global tech hub. The festival celebrates Ireland’s research and artistic communities through creativity, debate, and experimentation.

As part of Beta Festival, a residency will run from September 2024 to May 2025, inviting artists to explore digital representations and develop technological advancements that harmonise with nature.

The residency will involve workshops, activities, and field research, with travel expenses covered. Artists must produce a prototype or artwork for the Studiotopia programme, to be presented at Beta Festival in November 2025. The residency will be hybrid, with at least one month of in-person attendance, plus online engagement. Artists will collaborate with a Local Challenge Committee (LCC) and receive support, including funding, access to technology, and curatorial assistance.

Artists are expected to create a public-facing output, facilitate community workshops, spend a minimum of one month in Ireland, and participate in Beta Festival and related educational activities. Further opportunities may be explored as the residency progresses.