Autolume Acedia (2022) is a hallucinatory meditation on the ancient emotion called acedia. Acedia describes a mixture of contemplative apathy, nervous nostalgia, and paralyzed angst. Greek monks first described this emotion two millennia ago, and it captures the paradoxical state of being simultaneously bored and anxious.

While music plays, the Autolume, a video generation system that automates live music visualization, dreams about bodies, organs, and bones, creating abstract visuals which seem to be dancing to the sounds.

Light Up Kelowna is a partnership between the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan (ARTSCO) and UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies. 

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“This is such a fascinating series, and I encourage Kelowna residents to come on down to the Cultural District this February to see some very unique art! Autolume Acedia offers inspiration and reflection. Reflection on the analog and digital worlds and also on what it means to be human. It will get people thinking and talking, and I’m sure it will inspire a few folks too,"

— Kirsteen McCulloch, Director

Featured Artists

Jonas Kraasch is a graduate student at Simon Fraser University’s School for Interactive Arts and Technology, where he is part of the Metacreation Lab for Creative AI. With his prior studies in Cognitive Science with a focus on Deep Learning his goal is to combine both his passions for AI and creative expression by creating both creative systems and tools to assist artists in their work. In his research he focuses on deep learning, machine learning, creative AI, data ethics and generative models, trying to bend what is possible to create with AI.

Philippe Pasquier is a media art artist, composer, and designer focused on generative practices and the computationally sublime. Philippe is a professor at Simon Fraser University’s School for Interactive Arts and Technology, where he directs the Metacreation Lab for Creative AI. Philippe leads a research-creation program around generative systems for creative tasks. As such, he is a scientist specialized in artificial intelligence, a multidisciplinary artist, an educator, and a community builder. His contributions range from theoretical research on generative systems, computer-assisted creativity, multi-agent systems, machine learning, affective computing, and evaluation methodologies. This work is applied in the creative software industry as well as through artistic practice in computer music, interactive and generative art.