Arts + AI Week

With the rise of artificial intelligence in society, its impact on the arts has become an important topic. For many, AI remains abstract and evokes speculation and concerns. To explore the issues surrounding this technological revolution, the SAT invites Québec, Canadian, and international experts to share their knowledge during a week of events from October 29 to November 5. These meetings will offer a variety of perspectives, from the most specialized to the most accessible, aiming to engage both the general public and the professionals of the digital creativity ecosystem.

On the agenda:

October 29 : Algorythmes

We invite you to a full day of activities focused on AI and music, with a conference, a workshop, and a happy hour.

Workshop – AI Tools in Music: AIpocalypse or AIpotheosis ?

Join us for an overview of creative AI tools, whether they stem from research or industry. Through examples and demonstrations of tools from the Metacreation Lab, accessible to both amateurs and professionals, instructor Philippe Pasquier offers a unique perspective on the possibilities of machine learning technologies in these turbulent times of exponential acceleration. From AI-assisted composition to the generation of ready-to-listen audio pieces, from automatic sound design to artificial agents sharing the stage with human musicians, this workshop provides a glimpse into a rich and rapidly expanding field.

Location: Formation room on the 2nd floor of SAT, streamed at the Quai des Savoirs

Time: 10 AM – 12PM

A duplex meeting between the Quai des Savoirs in Toulouse and the SAT in Montreal.

This teleconference will take place 3 PM (Montreal time) and 9 PM (Toulouse time), connecting the Quai des Savoirs in Toulouse and the SAT in Montreal, and streamed live by the Institut français worldwide. This discussion will allow curious participants to question the future of music in the age of algorithms. Using an original setup that brings together the audiences in Toulouse and Montreal in real time, attendees will have the opportunity to confront their inquiries with the perspectives of several experts from both sides of the Atlantic. This moment of exchange and questioning will be accompanied by contributions from DJs, artists, journalists, legal experts, and scientists.

Location: SAT Space  

Time: 3 PM – 5 PM  

Cocktail hour with research-creation performances in AI and Music

After the end of our event with the Quai des Savoirs, continue the experience with unique performances and discussions on AI during a networking hour at the Espace SAT!

The evening will kick off with a DJ mix by Martyn Bootyspoon, featuring AI-generated tracks inspired by his compositions and the intersection of generative art, code, and music. Following that, performances resulting from arts-science collaborations will be presented, aiming to poetically explore artificial intelligence algorithms. Composer and performer Erin Gee and artist-researcher Philippe Pasquier will present AISMR, an original performance exploring the intersections between the latent spaces of machine learning and our emotions. Artist-researchers Portrait XO and Gadi Sassoon will also unveil the results of their research-creation residency at SAT with AI researcher Tegan Maharaj, focusing on the “sensification” of training an algorithm for simulating environmental risks.

Location: SAT Space

Time: 5 PM – 7 PM  

October 30 and 31 : Autolume Workshop

A two-halfday workshop designed to introduce artists to Autolume, a no-coding, user-friendly, visual synthesizer that leverages the artistic potential of GANs without requiring technical skills. It streamlines the GAN workflow, including dataset preprocessing, model training, and real-time generation, making it accessible for non-technical users. This workshop aims to demonstrate the system’s capabilities and provide artists with hands-on experience.

On the first day, participants will be guided through a comprehensive system demo, get to explore the existing models, and learn how to leverage Autolume for training models with their unique datasets

The second day of the workshop shifts focus to the tangible outcomes of the previous day’s endeavours, with a comprehensive review of the training results and a deep dive into Autolume’s advanced features. Special attention will be given to its real-time and interactive capabilities, including audio-reactive and other forms of interactive art possibilities.

Our workshop welcomes artists across all visual disciplines and technical backgrounds, whether you’re keen on exploring generative AI for the first time or looking to deepen your engagement with more personalized and interactive generative AI workflows. Participants are encouraged to bring a minimum of 50 image samples to ensure meaningful outcomes.

Interested? Please fill out this form to submit a request to participate in the workshop.

Deadline to apply for participation in the workshop: October 24th

Location : L’École NAD-UQAC, Îlot Balmoral 1501 rue de Bleury, 7e étage, Montréal (Québec) H3A 0H3

Time: October 30 from 9:30AM to 12:30PM; October 31st from from 2:30PM to 5:30PM

November 4th and 5th : Symposium ArtIA

As part of the ArtIA project, conducted in collaboration with Sporobole, Projet collectif, and the LLIO, around thirty participants from diverse backgrounds (artists, academics, cultural organizations) are coming together for two days to collectively explore the possibility of creating commons for creative AI. Through an examination of artistic practices and imaginaries, the participants are attempting to envision how to establish a collective and unifying effort to develop AI tools for artists, drawing on their own approaches.

A presentation of the project, its objectives, methodology, and processes will be given to the community at the end of this collective reflection moment, on November 5, during a 5@SAT event focused on the ArtIA project. Our networking event with the people from the Montreal digital community will allow them to meet and exchange ideas with the participants of the ArtIA project.

5 novembre : 5@SAT ArtIA

Location: SAT space

Time: 5PM to 7PM