TECHNE | "The Vivid Unknown" @ BAM
The Vivid Unknown by John Fitzgerald & Godfrey Reggio Shown as part of TECHNE from Jan 4-7
WHERE: BAM Fisher, Fishman Space 321 Ashland Pl Brooklyn, NY 11217
DATES: Jan 4 - 7, 2025
HOURS: Saturday + Sunday from 2-10pm, Tuesday from 7-10pm
The Vivid Unknown is an AI-driven installation that reimagines the seminal 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi through the lens of contemporary technology and machine learning, based on a generative AI model trained on the archives of filmmaker Godfrey Reggio.
As visitors move within the space, real-time computer vision tracks their presence and movements, reshaping the narrative as they explore the violent nexus of nature, humans, and technology. As part of this special program, Koyaanisqatsi will be screened in its original form at BAM Rose Cinemas on January 7.
The Vivid Unknown, 2023-2024
By John Fitzgerald and Godfrey Reggio
Fabricated by Artificial Intelligence from Koyaanisqatsi
Film by Godfrey Reggio / Music by Philip Glass
©Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc. and Institute for Regional Education. Used by Permission
Dan Moore - Technical Director
Ben Shirken - Composer
Matt Tierney - Producer
Elie Zananiri - Computer Vision Developer
Graham Milliken - Producer
Matthew Russotti - Producer
Stan Wiechers - Casinoqatsi Developer
Zachary Novack, Julian McAuley, and Taylor Berg-Kirkpatrick - AI Music Research Scientists
Created with the Support of Onassis ONX, Agog, and MLFoundry.
Koyaanisqatsi, Godfrey Reggio’s 1982 touchstone of experimental cinema is a wordless symphony of image and sound, featuring an original score by Phillip Glass. Hailed as a singular visual achievement, Reggio, with renowned cinematographer Ron Fricke (Samsara, Baraka), charts humanity’s increasing alienation from nature via sweeping footage of untamed wilderness and gleaming cityscapes. Experience the totality and overwhelming power of an unparalleled cinematic vision.
Koyaanisqatsi screens for one night only in conjunction with John Fitzgerald and Godfrey Reggio’s immersive installation “The Vivid Unknown,” on view at BAM January 4, 5, and 7 as part of our multi-part experiential TECHNE program. Also join us for a Q&A with Godfrey Reggio (joining virtually from his studio in New Mexico) and John Fitzgerald and moderated by Gabriel Florenz following the screening!
John Fitzgerald is an artist who navigates the dynamic relationship between humans and technology through immersive XR and AI-driven artwork. By blending the playful with the profound, his work invites critical reflection on how technology shapes our perceptions and behaviors. Recent credits include The Vivid Unknown (IDFA ’23), Polymorphic (Plásmata ’22), Metamorphic (Sundance ’20 & SIGGRAPH ’20), Zikr: A Sufi Revival (Sundance ’18 & IDFA ’18), and objects in mirror AR closer than they appear (Tribeca ’18). John’s work has also been presented at the Panama Biennial, Telluride, Berlinale, Rio de Janeiro Film Festival, and the Simón Patiño Foundation in Bolivia. He holds an honors degree from the department of Modern Culture and Media Studies from Brown University. He is a former Visiting Artist at the MIT Center for Art Science and Technology, Visiting Scholar at the MIT Center for Advanced Urbanism, Pulitzer Center Grantee, RLab XR Resident, and founding member of the New Museum’s incubator NEW INC. John is a cofounder of the experiential studio, Sensorium, and the Innovation Director at Onassis ONX in New York.
Godfrey Reggio (b. 1940) is an American filmmaker and creator of a unique experimental cinematic poetry. He is widely known throughout the world for his wordless filmography, especially the pre-eminent trilogy of Koyaanisqatsi: "Life Out of Balance" (1982); Powaqqatsi: "Life in Transition" (1988); and Naqoyqatsi: "Life as War" (2002). His work reveals a humanist philosophy about our planet, the encroachment of technology on nature, ancient cultures, and the splendor that disappears as a result. They chronicle the impact of the modernizing world on our physical and psychological environment.
TECHNE is curated by Onassis ONX, an initiative by Onassis Culture dedicated to the development of new media art and digital experiences. Presented in partnership with Under the Radar and BAM, January 4 through 19, a part of BAM’s Next Wave 2024 and Emerging Visions, as well as Under the Radar ‘25. Visit utrfest.org and bam.org for more information.
Bloomberg Philanthropies is BAM’s Season Sponsor. Leadership support for BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by the Mellon Foundation. Leadership support for BAM Access Programs provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation. Leadership support for Next Wave 2024 provided by Ford Foundation. Leadership support for BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by Altman Foundation.
