Annie Dorsen: Prometheus Firebringer
*The event has already taken place on this date: Sat, 01/25/2025
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Annie Dorsen considers how the proliferation of artificial intelligence in our daily lives feels unprecedented and asks: “Have we been here before?” Each evening of this performance, the predictive text model GPT-4 generates speculative versions of the lost final play of Aeschylus’ Prometheia trilogy. Performed by a chorus of AI-generated Greek masks, this story from ancient Greek mythology tells how Prometheus stole the god’s fire for humans–sparking sudden and dramatic advances in technology and the arts, as well as dramatic new sources of conflict. Dorsen delivers a text composed entirely of quotes from the internet on tragedy and memory, what machines are learning from us, and knowledge (and ignorance) of societal undoing. At the heart of the piece lies the same question that philosopher Simon Critchley observes animates Greek tragedy: “What shall I do?” Probing existential questions about truth and agency, this engaging performance continues Dorsen’s exploration of the contradictory impacts of technology.
Prometheus Firebringer is part of the performance program for All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace, and curated by Katy Dammers and Edgar Miramontes.
All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace is among more than 70 exhibitions and programs presented as part of PST ART. PST ART: Art & Science Collide, the latest edition of this landmark regional event explores the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit pst.art.
Please note: Prometheus Firebringer contains loud sounds.
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