Tiffany Shlain Artist Statement

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In my work, I explore ideas in feminism, philosophy, technology, neuroscience, and nature. These pieces are physical permutations of themes I’ve investigated for nearly 30 years as as a filmmaker and writer, and in my work with technology. For my tree ring sculptures that challenge the conventional patriarchal narratives embedded in historical timelines, I begin with deep research, then distill moments that combine the profound, the peculiar, and the perplexing, hand-burning them with pyrography. For this exhibition it was powerful to wrestle with these ideas with Ken. Plus we love making each other laugh. So you will find that interlaced into a lot of the text. In all my works I use scale, geometry, and uncovered histories to shift perspective, reveal absurdities, and offer alternative ways of interpreting our past, thinking about the present, and considering how we can shape our future.

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Ken Goldberg Artist Statement

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​I’m fascinated by the intersections between art, technology, and culture. As an artist and roboticist, I use new technologies to express the contrasts between what is natural and what is artificial—the liminal spaces between reality and representation. Although the word “telepistemology” never caught on, I continue to be curious about the ways that distance in scale and time can influence perception and knowledge. Working with Tiffany on Ancient Wisdom brought out our complementary skills as artists and our shared perspectives on AI, history, and not taking ourselves too seriously.