Tools in the Back Room, Not on the Wall

In this episode of The Intersect podcast, hosts Chelsea and Georgia explore Issue No. 73 of The Intersect newsletter, diving deep into how technology operates as invisible infrastructure in the art world rather than the main attraction. From deepfake interviews to magnetic camera modules, discover how artists and institutions navigate the rapidly evolving technological landscape.Episode HighlightsDeepfake Sam Altman Interview: Filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough creates "SamBot," a deepfake of OpenAI's CEO, to explore AI's existential questions when the real Altman won't return his callsRefik Anadol's 'Unsupervised' at MoMA: An AI-powered installation that transforms 138,000 MoMA artworks into morphing abstractions, sparking debates about AI as art versus data visualizationArtsy Gallery Survey: 57% of galleries use AI for admin tasks, but only 9% consider AI-generated art legitimate - revealing a stark divide in technology's roleTrevor Paglen's Ironic Award: The surveillance-critical artist wins a $100,000 prize sponsored by LG Corporation, highlighting the complex relationship between art and corporate powerXiaomi's Modular Camera Innovation: Magnetic camera lenses for foldable phones promise to revolutionize mobile photographyNicole Nikolich's Crochet Nostalgia: Six-foot yarn recreations of Windows 95 and The Sims interfaces transform obsolete technology into textile artLA's Museum Explosion: Multiple major museums opening in 2026, including LACMA's revolutionary approach to curation organized by oceans rather than periodsKey ThemesThe episode examines how technology serves as infrastructure rather than inspiration in contemporary art. Through stories ranging from AI-generated museum pieces to crochet computer interfaces, we explore the negotiation happening in real-time about where technology belongs in creative practice. The conversation highlights how artists struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI, while galleries embrace tech for productivity but resist it as an artistic medium.About The IntersectThe Intersect is a weekly newsletter and podcast examining how technology shapes artistic practice and how creativity informs technological development. Each episode provides nuanced analysis, case studies, and practitioner perspectives from the intersection of art and technology.Subscribe & ConnectSubscribe to The Intersect newsletter at theintersect.art for weekly insights into technology's impact on artistic practice and creativity's role in technological progress. Follow the conversation across social media and join our community exploring the dynamic relationship between art and technology.