Discover The New Real Magazine’s second edition, Planetary Futures: AI, Arts and the Environment, from The University of Edinburgh’s hub for AI, creativity, and futures research. This open-source journal brings together leading creatives, technologists, and academics to explore the intersection of environmental sustainability and digital innovation.

The launch event also features an exclusive preview of new commissioned work by interdisciplinary artist Kasia Molga, highlighting AI’s role in preserving memory and shaping our planet’s future. Join us to engage with critical insights and pioneering innovations at this inspiring event.

This event is made possible by generous contribution from Creative Informatics.

Speakers:

Courtney Bates, Project Manager

Courtney is the Project Manager for The New Real, she focuses on the intersection of AI and the arts and produces insightful resources for the arts community for future thinking and work with AI and emerging technologies. Previously, she served as the Programme and Finance Administrator for Creative Informatics, a UK Creative Cluster Programme, supporting R&D funding in the creative industries. Formerly, Courtney was Executive Director of both The Flowertown Players and Threshold Repertory Theatre in Charleston, SC before moving to Edinburgh. She holds a MA in Arts, Festival, and Cultural Management from Queen Margaret University and a BA in Arts Management from The College of Charleston.

Matjaz Vidmar, Deputy Director

Matjaz Vidmar is Lecturer at The University of Edinburgh and Deputy Director of The New Real programme, hosted between the Edinburgh Futures Institute and Alan Turing Institute. His research spans collaborative R&D practices and interdisciplinary knowledge making, especially between engineering and arts/humanities. With a background in Science and Technology Studies, he is currently examining sustainable futures of high-tech fields, especially in artificial intelligence and data.

The New Real Unveils First Iteration of Kasia Molga’s Immersive Multimedia Experience, How to Find the Soul of a Sailor, at Inspace Gallery, Edinburgh

Exhibition Dates: December 12 - 21, 2024; January 6 - 11, 2025, closed on Sundays. 

Times: 10:00-17:00 

Exhibition launch: December 12, 2024 5pm - 8pm, artist talk and light refreshments. Tickets are limited. 

Please reserve a ticket on Eventbrite - How to Find the Soul of a Sailor Artist Talk and Opening Event Tickets, Thu, Dec 12, 2024 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite

Free admission
Location: Inspace Gallery, 1 Crichton St, Newington, Edinburgh EH8 9AB

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible venue 

Commissioned by: The New Real
Sponsored by: The Scottish AI Alliance

Hosted by: Inspace Gallery 

Additional support by: Arts Council England 

Edinburgh, Scotland - Kasia Molga, an acclaimed interdisciplinary artist, designer and storyteller invites you to explore her first iteration of How to Find the Soul of a Sailor, a deeply personal and innovative project that fuses the past, present, and future through the lens of artificial intelligence and memory. This work is the result of The New Real 2023-2024 commission “Uncanny Machines” supported by the Scottish AI Alliance. Hosted at Inspace Gallery with additional support from Arts Council England, this unique early access version runs from December 12-21, 2024, and January 6-11, 2025. 

Immerse yourself in a deeply personal journey to the future of our oceans and sailors’ time at sea. Experience the Mediterranean sea through the eyes of Molga’s late father, Tadeusz Molga, a devoted sailor. During his voyages, he meticulously documented his passion for the ocean, a love he shared with young Kasia as she accompanied him on his ship. Fifteen years after his passing, Molga is left with a profound sense of loss and a collection of his cherished diaries. When the memories of their time together begin to fade, she turns to these diaries, clinging to the remnants of his voice and their shared experiences at sea. Molga's work captures an emotional and environmental journey highlighting the fragility of our oceans, the ever-changing work conditions of sailors, and speculates on the future and what her father would say.  

Molga uses The New Real’s specialised experiential AI platform, The New Real Observatory, to reimagine her father’s words, projecting them 50 years into the future. This project is a powerful fusion of memory and technology, blending generative AI tools with climate data to create an emotionally charged narrative that visualises both the past and future of our oceans.

Molga’s exhibition uniquely combines English and Polish, creating a bilingual experience that delves into the profound topics of personal connection to climate change and the digital afterlife. Her work not only honours the enduring power of memory but also showcases the potential benefits and drawbacks of various artificial intelligence tools to preserve and transform our personal histories.

This exhibition is a must-see for those interested in the intersections of art, technology, and the environment, offering a poignant reflection on the future of our planet and the boundless possibilities of human-AI collaboration.

About Kasia Molga:
Kasia Molga (UK/PL) has refused to be labelled – design fusionist, artist, environmentalist, creative coder and technologist who for over a decade has sought ways of collaboration with nature, predominantly focusing on the ever-changing human relation to and perception of the natural environment and fellow ‘earthlings’. Her award winning work has been exhibited worldwide (i,e. Ars Electronica, Tate Modern, MIS (BR), Centre Pompidou and more). Kasia has taken part in many international art & science residencies and has lectured and mentored regularly in the EU and UK. An affinity with the ocean is evident in Kasia’s work, born from her time growing up on merchant navy vessels with her sailor father and she is the proud holder of a diving licence. studiomolga.com

About The New Real:
The New Real is a leading research hub on arts and AI at The University of Edinburgh, fostering innovative projects at the intersection of technology, creativity, and society. The New Real explores how AI impacts life at a profound level, often interacting with us in fascinating and unanticipated ways, and illuminates how emerging technology can become a creative, playful and deeply impactful part of everyday living. The New Real is developed in partnership with The Alan Turing Institute, Edinburgh College of Art, and The Edinburgh Futures Institute. The New Real | Home

About Scottish AI Alliance:
Scotland’s national Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy was launched in March 2021 and set out a vision for Scotland to become a leader in the development and use of trustworthy, ethical and inclusive AI.

The Scottish AI Alliance is tasked with the delivery of the vision outlined in Scotland’s AI Strategy by empowering Scotland's people, supporting Scotland's businesses and organisations, and influencing policy impacting Scotland. The Scottish AI Alliance is a strategic collaboration between The Data Lab and the Scottish Government and is led by a Minister-appointed Chair and overseen by Senior Responsible Officers from The Data Lab (CEO) and the Scottish Government (CDO). Its activities are overseen and advised by governance and outcomes focussed advisory groups with representation across society and Scotland’s AI community. www.scottishai.com

About Inspace Gallery 

Inspace is part of the Institute for Design Informatics and is a collaborative hub, commissioning and producing creative activity. Our public programme connects data, research and creative talent. We host events and exhibitions where people can explore, learn, debate and create. Our programme unlocks digital technologies, tools and data and explores their role in society through a creative lens. We are home to Inspace City Screens, a unique seven screen street front projection space visible from Potterrow in Edinburgh. Inspace – art | design | technology | research (ed.ac.uk)

Arts Council England 

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. They help people in every corner of the country to experience and benefit from creativity. They do this by investing in artists and organisations that make and deliver exceptional, inspirational work for our communities. Homepage (artscouncil.org.uk)