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, by John Fitzgerald and Godfrey Reggio, is a collective experience that uses AI and computer vision to reimagine Reggio’s iconic 1982 film, Koyaanisqatsi. Visitors will explore the primal nexus of humans, nature, and technology, dynamically participating in shaping the unfolding narrative. As part of this special program, Koyaanisqatsi will be screened in its original form at BAM Rose Cinemas on January 7.
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 following the screening!
John Fitzgerald is an artist and cofounder of the experiential studio, Sensorium. Recent Co-creator credits include: Polymorphic (Plásmata, Athens ’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 a founding member of the New Museum’s incubator NEW INC. John is currently the Innovation Director at Onassis ONX.
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, January 4 through 19. Visit utrfest.org for more information.
