Rhizome of the New Museum
About the Project
Founded in 2010, Seven on Seven (7x7) is an iconic art and technology program that pairs seven leading artists with seven visionary technologists to carry out a simple task: make something new. The results of these collaborations are then presented at a public, experiential conference at the New Museum in New York City. 7x7 is a catalyst for critical conversations about the convergence of art, tech, and culture.
Presented by Rhizome and Hyundai Motor, the 2024 edition of 7x7—the first in-person gathering since 2019—focused on AI, exploring how the technology might challenge our understanding of love, humor, and improvisation; biology, politics, and histories.
About 7x7 2024 Participants
• Quantum physicist Dr. Stephon Alexander and comedian and musician Reggie Watts experiment with improvisation as a way to understand connections among physics, creativity, and AI.
• Replika AI Founder and CEO Eugenia Kuyda and artist Lynn Hershman Leeson collaborate on a science-fiction narrative in which AI relationships play a central role.
• Boston Dynamics Director of Human-Robot Interaction David Robert and artist Miriam Simun explore connection between humans and non-humans through a performance featuring Spot, The Agile Mobile Robot, with support form Field Application Specialist Hannah Rossi.
• Nym Technologies Co-Founder and CEO Harry Halpin and artist Tomás Saraceno consider technology’s role in organizational decision-making for communities facing climate-related conflict and upheaval.
• Ginkgo Bioworks Head of Creative Christina Agapakis and artist Xin Liu embark on a journey of creating a protein and delve into the hidden layers of the biological system that AI might uncover.
• Runway Co-Founder and CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela and comedian, writer, and actor Ana Fabrega ask if AI can be funny, on the heels of the recent Writers Guild of America agreement with major Hollywood studios that ratified worker protections around AI.
• Engineer and environmental entrepreneur Alan Steremberg and artist Rindon Johnson use data for storytelling, drawing on information about plastics, plankton, and other conditions in the Pacific Ocean.
About the Program
Rhizome Partnership
In 2021, Hyundai Motor and Rhizome partnered to explore the infinite possibilities arising from the convergence of art and technology. Established in 1996, Rhizome champions born-digital art and culture through commissions, exhibitions, scholarship, and digital preservation. Since 2003, Rhizome has been an affiliate in residence at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, playing an integral role in the history of contemporary art engaged with digital technologies and the internet. To date, the partnership resulted in World on a Wire, a digital and physical exhibition exploring blurring lines between the virtual and the real, and continued with 7x7 2024, a legendary art and tech program.
