"Figures of History and the Grounds of Intelligence." A Global Premier
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Five Arts Centre, a renowned collective of Malaysian artists, activists, and producers. Founded in 1984, the centre has led in creating alternative art forms and images, significantly shaping Malaysia's cultural landscape by consistently pushing boundaries and challenging conventions.
"In our 40 years, Five Arts has produced over 250 projects, including performances, exhibitions, publications, workshops, advocacy, and archival projects," shared Mark Teh, a performance maker, researcher, and curator at Five Arts. "In the past decade, we have taken our work to more than 30 festivals and cities worldwide."
One upcoming innovative project is by Ho Rui An, a Singapore-based artist.
Ho is known for his work at the intersections of contemporary art, cinema, performance, and theory. His research, expressed through lectures, essays, and films, examines the relationships between labour, technology, and capital in a global context. He has presented his projects at numerous prestigious venues, including the Shanghai Biennale, Bangkok Art Biennale, and the Singapore Art Museum.
Continuing Five Arts Centre's tradition of groundbreaking performances, they have Ho who will present his lecture performance titled "Figures of History and the Grounds of Intelligence."
This piece explores the implications of historical images entering the feedback loops of artificial neural networks.
The performance will debut at the Five Arts Centre in GMBB Mall, Bukit Bintang, before heading to the Centre Pompidou in Paris later this year.
"This is an opportunity not to be missed, because it is only for two days on July 14 and 15," said Teh.
The performance may have surprising outcomes as in an earlier interview with the online radio station BFM 89.9, Ho mentioned that he is uncertain of the performance's outcome due to the unpredictable nature of generative AI.
According to Five Arts Centre, "Figures of History and the Grounds of Intelligence" delves into the intersecting histories of state planning, global networks, and cybernetics, tracing their evolution from the Cold War to the current boom in generative AI. The performance reflects on how these historical elements have shaped the foundations of contemporary AI models and considers the implications for the future of representation, where images may no longer retain their historical context.
The term' Artificial Intelligence' was coined in 1956 at a conference at Dartmouth College, marking the field's inception. Recent computing power and technology advancements have made AI a significant part of public consciousness.
"Figures of History and the Grounds of Intelligence" is co-commissioned by Centre Pompidou, Paris, and KADIST, San Francisco and Paris. The Kuala Lumpur lecture performance is supported by A+ Works of Art.
When asked how Five Arts Centre managed to secure the world premiere of Ho's work, which in itself is quite a coup, Teh explained, "Ho approached us because we had previously presented another of his lecture-performances, 'DASH,' in KL in December 2017. Over the past few years, we have been programmed together in various arts festivals and platforms, developing a mutual appreciation of each other's work."
The lecture performance will occur at the Five Arts Centre in GMBB Mall, Bukit Bintang, on July 14 and 15.
For more information and ticket purchase: https://www.cloudjoi.com/shows/1810-figures-of-history-and-the-grounds-of-intelligence
Support Five Arts Centre
For 40 years, Five Arts Centre has been a cornerstone of Malaysia’s cultural landscape. If you’d like to help sustain their innovative projects and community engagement, consider visiting Sokong to learn more about their work and how you can get involved. Your support can make a difference in continuing their legacy.
