Distributed Consciousness – Memo Akten – Gallery QI Exhibit

The exhibit “Distributed Consciousness” by artist and creative technologist Memo Akten draws upon the collaborative nature of knowledge building, the collective nature of intelligence, and the permeable boundaries between individuals. The show, which runs through March 20, employs cephalopods and cephalopod cognition as a means of reflecting upon the “increasingly powerful and pervasive synthetic alien intelligences of artificial intelligence (AI).”

The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, see the Gallery QI website.

Biography

Memo Akten is a multi-disciplinary artist, musician, and researcher creating Speculative Simulations and Data Dramatizations investigating the intricacies of human-machine entanglements. His work explores perception and states of consciousness; the tensions between ecology, technology, science and spirituality; and for more than a decade he’s been working with Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and our Collective Consciousness as scraped by the Internet, to reflect on the human condition. He writes code and uses algorithmic / data-driven design and aesthetics to create moving images, sounds, large-scale responsive installations and performances. He holds a Ph.D. from Goldsmiths University of London, specializing in artistic and creative applications of Artificial Intelligence, and he is currently Assistant Professor of Computational Art at the University of California, San Diego. Akten has received numerous awards including the Prix Ars Electronica Golden Nica, his work has been widely exhibited and performed internationally and featured in major publications.