“This Is Unreal” explores the intersection of dance, theater, and contemporary technologies like artificial intelligence, clones, and deepfakes. Through text and movement, Liz Santoro inhabits a world where the lines between human and machine, real and virtual, blur. The performance delves into the unsettling implications of AI on truth, creativity, and freedom, using both human-generated and AI-generated materials to create an emotional experience that questions our current relationship with reality. The project also introduces a novel “fourth wall” (the imaginary barrier theatrically imposed between performers and the audience) creating a hybrid space that integrates audience interaction through real-time feedback and digital extensions, offering a glimpse into the evolving future of human and machine collaboration in artistic creation.
Pierre Godard
Pierre Godard is a French artist and performance maker with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Paris-Saclay University. With a background in applied mathematics and linguistic engineering, his research has focused on unsupervised word discovery and computational language documentation, particularly in low-resource languages. Beyond his academic pursuits, Godard is a prominent figure in the performing arts creating works with choreographer Liz Santoro that explore the intersection of dance, technology, and AI, pushing the boundaries of contemporary performance art. Their pieces have been showcased internationally, and Godard’s innovative approach continues to influence both the fields of AI and the arts.
Link: http://www.lpdi.org
Liz Santoro
Liz Santoro is an American choreographer and dancer with a background in neuroscience from Harvard University and professional training from the Boston Ballet School. Over her career, she has become known for her innovative works that blend movement with generative composition and technology. In collaboration with Pierre Godard, Santoro has created numerous acclaimed pieces that explore the intersection of dance and cognitive processes, presented extensively in Europe, North America and Asia. In addition to her choreographic works, Santoro’s artistic practice encompasses considerable pedagogical engagement through her curation, teaching, outreach, and mentoring.
Link: http://www.lpdi.org
MODINA Residency
The 8-week MODINA residency for the development of this project will take place at CNDB, Bucharest, between 20/Jan – 16/Mar 2025, with technical mentoring by University of Lisbon, Interactive Technologies Institute. MODINA is co-funded by the European Union.