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California Institute of the Arts

California Institute of the Arts

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UNBOUND: Transcending Technology and Disciplinarity

A symposium on Critical Studies and AI in the arts on April 17, 2025.

Building on our inaugural 2024 AI symposium, California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) announces UNBOUND, a symposium for the campus community scheduled for April 17, 2025. This symposium emerges at a crucial moment when technology is reshaping not just the tools we use, but the very nature of artistic creation, knowledge production, and critical discourse.

UNBOUND recognizes that preparing artists for the future requires more than technical literacy—it demands a deep engagement with critical thinking, theoretical frameworks, and ethical considerations. The symposium’s name reflects our commitment to moving beyond conventional boundaries: between disciplines, between human and machine creativity, and between traditional and emerging forms of knowledge.

By bringing together critical studies and technological innovation, we aim to explore how these seemingly disparate domains can enrich each other. How might criticality inform our understanding of AI’s role in artistic practice? How can emerging technologies enhance our approaches to critique and analysis? These questions lie at the heart of UNBOUND’s mission to foster a more nuanced and comprehensive approach to artistic education in the age of AI.

Reserve your spot

Join the discussion on the future of AI at CalArts. 

RSVP for UNBOUND now

Details

The day-long symposium will feature keynote speaker Lyndon Barrois, Sr. alongside faculty panels, workshops, and performances. The program is structured around five interconnected pathways:

  • UNBOUND Reading: Exploring hypertextual understanding, multimodal literacy, and critical interpretation of AI-generated content
  • UNBOUND Writing: Investigating collaborative writing with AI and multimodal composition strategies
  • UNBOUND Thinking: Questioning established knowledge structures and fostering cross-disciplinary approaches
  • UNBOUND Creation: Examining experimental methodologies and new forms of artistic expression
  • UNBOUND Equity: Addressing data justice, algorithmic bias, and collective knowledge rights 

Call to Action

This symposium reflects CalArts’ commitment to developing artists who are both technically proficient and critically engaged. 

By bringing together critical studies and technological innovation, UNBOUND supports our mission to prepare artists who can navigate, critique, and shape the future of creative practice. The symposium emphasizes that meaningful artistic engagement with AI requires both technical understanding and critical thinking skills.

We invite your support for UNBOUND as we explore how critical studies and technology can together create more thoughtful, prepared, and engaged artists. This symposium represents a crucial investment in our faculty’s ability to prepare students for a future where technical proficiency and critical thinking are equally essential to artistic practice.