Crossing Grounds: Art and Technology at Georgia Tech

A robotic arm moves with precision over a canvas at Georgia Tech's Ferst Center for the Arts. This arm is part of Pathways Interrupted, a collaborative piece in the Crossing Grounds exhibition, which opened on October 5, 2023. Curated by Dr. Anne Sullivan, the exhibition explores how technology reshapes creative practices and fosters collaboration.

The exhibition features twelve projects, including digital installations, interactive media, and AI-generated art. Each work interrogates how these intersections redefine artistic expression. Dr. Sullivan states, "Crossing Grounds is about asking what art becomes when technology actively co-creates it."

A standout project is Mnemonic Echoes by computational artist Jenna Li and neuroscientist Dr. Raj Patel. Using an EEG interface, the work visualizes live brainwave data, projecting it into a kaleidoscopic display of light and color. The duo began their collaboration in late 2022 as part of Georgia Tech’s Digital Futures programme. Patel describes their project as "an experiment in how memory can take on a visual form when mediated by algorithms." The visuals shift as participants interact, creating a dynamic archive of cognitive-imaginary entanglements.

Another piece, Resonant Cities, maps urban soundscapes through machine learning. Created by sound artist Victor Kang and urban planner Monica Reyes, the installation uses audio datasets from Atlanta neighborhoods, processed through custom-trained neural networks. Visitors hear the AI-generated "voices" of these neighborhoods, blending human, machine, and environmental frequencies. Kang explains, "It’s not about recreating reality but reassembling it. This is Atlanta reimagined through its sonic DNA."

The exhibition reflects a shift in contemporary art, where the artist is part of a distributed network of collaborators. This shift raises ethical questions. In Generative Lineage by design researcher Maria Hsu, participants train a generative network built with TensorFlow on their chosen datasets. The system creates speculative family trees based on input patterns. Hsu’s project explores biases in algorithmic processes, sparking discussions about technology's role in shaping cultural narratives.

The exhibition design echoes its themes—modular displays and interactive kiosks encourage active engagement. Students from Georgia Tech’s School of Industrial Design created parametric structures that mimic the exhibition’s iterative, boundary-crossing ethos. The layered aesthetic also reflects logistical constraints: panels are 3D-printed with biodegradable resin, reducing the exhibit's carbon footprint. It is an exhibition as context-aware as it is content-driven.

Crossing Grounds fits into a broader trajectory of institutional experiments merging tech and art. The Ferst Center has previously hosted works by artists like Sougwen Chung and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. What sets Crossing Grounds apart is its emphasis on student-led initiatives and process-driven practices over polished outcomes.

The exhibition has attracted attention from the art world and tech communities. Industry professionals from Microsoft Research and NVIDIA Creative AI Lab attended the opening. Critics like Shalini Rizvi of ArtForum noted its refreshing “unpolished immediacy,” an intentional departure from the hyper-curated aesthetic often associated with tech-infused art. Rizvi remarked, "These are live experiments in every sense—messy, raw, and alive with possibility."

Still, the exhibition raises questions about accessibility, particularly regarding the technical knowledge required to appreciate some works. While labels and QR codes link to detailed documentation, the depth of description often assumes familiarity with machine learning or digital fabrication processes. This challenge is common in art-and-tech initiatives: how to balance complexity with inclusivity?

Despite this, Crossing Grounds makes a compelling case for art as a testing ground for broader technological and societal questions. As Sullivan summarizes, "The exhibition isn’t just about art’s place in a tech-driven world but about how art shapes that world." This dual alignment—as critique and participant—positions Crossing Grounds as a vital site of dialogue.

The exhibition runs through January 10, 2024, and includes weekly workshops led by exhibiting artists on topics like creative coding, digital fabrication, and AI ethics. Its modular structure suggests it could serve as a replicable model for other institutions seeking to blur disciplinary boundaries. Whether such exhibitions can maintain their experimental ethos or succumb to institutional formalization remains an open question. In either case, Crossing Grounds exemplifies a practice in transition, negotiating what art has been and what it might become in an era of technological entwinement.