Skip to main content
Story

Kiss/Crash | CCI’s Adam Cole to exhibit latest AI artwork at SXSW Film Festival

  • Written byKatie Moss
  • Published date 06 March 2024
Kiss/Crash installation still, Adam Cole, 2023 | Photograph Hannah Burton

What destruction is there in romance? What pleasure is there in a car crash?

These are the questions posed by Creative Computing Institute alumni-turned-Associate Lecturer, Adam Cole, in the AI art installation that he developed for his MSc thesis: Kiss/Crash - which will be showing at the SXSW Film Festival in Texas, USA on 8 March.

Since Adam graduated from CCI, the Kiss/Crash experience has been exhibited internationally. It has been shortlisted for the prestigious Lumen Prize and premiered at the Sheffield DocFest Alternate Realities XR competition.

Like much of Adam’s work, Kiss/Crash examines the complexity of intimacy and identity in the digital age. He recently chatted to us about the project and his work to bridge the gap between AI and art.

"In a world already drowning in images, the oncoming tidal wave of AI-generated ‘art’ is reason for pause if not outright concern. This is not just because of the ethical questions underlying the technology, but because images are incredibly powerful: their ability to entertain, delight, and inspire is matched by their potential to misinform, control, and incite.

"However, while this technology is revolutionary in its capabilities, it’s incredibly familiar in the questions it raises about the nature of images, representation, and authenticity."

Kiss/Crash is an interactive installation consisting of three interrelated works that use AI to augment, subvert, and negate the iconic image of the Hollywood kiss relating the image-generating technology to the tradition of cinema.

"The project elevates the conversation around AI-generated art by creating an original contemporary piece that moves beyond pure novelty and instead critically reflects on the very technology used in its production."

The SXSW is an esteemed festival that celebrates independently produced films and emerging directing talent with unique visions. The piece will feature as an XR Special Event, part of the XR Experience track - emphasising storytelling and art in the immersive world.

Discussions around AI are typically distant and obscure, far removed from authentic experience. Audiences have connected with this work because it refocuses the conversation on the personal, exposing the link between AI algorithms and human passions. At SXSW, we will open this dialogue to a broad diverse community, challenging them to confront the alluring and grotesque impact of AI on our deepest desires.

—

Kiss/Crash is part of the UK Future Art & Culture program along with many other high-profile projects, supported by Arts Council England: Future Art and Culture (FAC), a major international showcasing initiative held annually at SXSW. The project focuses on art and technology from the UK through exhibitions, panel discussions, partnerships and networking events. Future Art and Culture is produced by British Underground and Arts Council England with partnership support from the British Council.

Kiss/Crash full installation video