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Henerasyon | Generation


WORKSHOP + SUMMIT


Michaela Ternasky-Holland and Aaron Santiago

(she/her/they/them, he/him)

THURS, JAN 4 | 1:30 PM - 3 PM (MST): Collaborating with AI
SAT, JAN 6 | 11:15 AM - 12 PM (MST): Meet & Greet with the Artists
EIS (MIX 105)

SUN, JAN 7 | 2:15 PM - 3 PM (MST): Best Practices for VR
SUN, JAN 7 | 3 PM - 3:45 PM (MST): Introduction to using AI platforms
Ideation Studio (MIX 108)

Visits to the installation in the Enhanced Immersion Studio (MIX 105) open throughout all of the 6th and 7th

*No sign-up needed; drop by!




Created by Philippine-American artists and collaborators Aaron Santiago and Michaela Ternasky-Holland, Henerasyon | Generation is a visceral exploration of cultural erasure within the Philippine diaspora. The installation uses the way that AI mutates its training data as a metaphor for what has happened to Philippine culture, both within the Philippines and for its wider diaspora. Audience members will be able to activate different audio and visual patterns of the generative depending on where they traverse in the gallery. 





JAN 4, 10:30 AM - 12 PM (MST):
1.5 hour workshop around Collaborating with AI - sharing and exploring strategies

Join Aaron and Michaela for an in-depth discussion concerning their creative and artistic process. The workshop will include a transparent look into working with generative AI, the ethics of collaborating with AI, and how their cultural heritage informed their choice to create an AI-centered project.
JAN 6, 11:15 AM - 12 PM (MST):
Meet & Greet with the Artists

Attendees are encouraged to connect with Philippine-American artists Aaron and Michaela to learn more about their career paths and the process in creating Henerasyon | Generation, a visceral exploration of cultural erasure within the Philippine diaspora that utilizes generative AI.
JAN 7, 2:15 PM - 3 PM (MST):
45-min session with Michaela re: care/best practices for VR

Designed for creators, curators, producers, and VR enthusiasts and led by award-winning creative strategist and impact producer, Michaela Ternasky-Holland, this session will discuss key aspects of virtual reality onboarding and aftercare, as well as best practices for maintaining a fleet of headsets and producing a seamless virtual reality activation.
Visits to the installation open throughout all of the 6th and 7th

Playtest and experience the first-ever iteration of Henerasyon | Generation, a visceral exploration of cultural erasure within the Philippine diaspora. Created by Filipinx-American artists and collaborators Aaron Santiago and Michaela Ternasky-Holland, the experience utilizes generative AI, projection mapping, and spatial audio to dissect pieces of identity that have morphed and evolved throughout the eras of Philippine history.





From the Artists

Michaela Ternasky-Holland and Aaron Santiago

XR Creative Strategist & Director / Creative Technologist & New Media Artist


As artists and collaborators, we both are experienced in making immersive work and share a passion for bringing untold stories into reality. We came together to develop Henerasyon | Generation based on our common Philippine ancestry. After a few initial conversations, we found a similar lack of cultural heritage. As Filipino-Americans, otherwise known as Fil-Ams, we are both children of immigrants. Still, we discovered that our lack of knowledge goes deeper than just our parents' desire for us to assimilate.

Filipinos often self-identify as chameleons, blending in with our environment despite living and working across the world. Combining this element with the stark lack of national history due to colonial erasure, a strong cultural identity is elusive for contemporary Filipinos. This in turn often casts us as an invisible people to the wider public eye or mainstream media. This distortion of culture bleeds into every aspect of the Philippine heritage: our languages, our food, our media, and even our self-image have adopted aspects of our geographical neighbors and dominant world powers.

Henerasyon | Generation is not only a visceral representation of our struggle to understand what is truly Filipino culture but also a raw demonstration of the inquiry itself. The installation uses the the way that AI mutates its training data as a metaphor for what has happened to Philippine culture, both within the Philippines and for its wider diaspora: indigenous Philippine concepts and words have been morphed into modern-day stereotypes and assimilated into western ideology. Join us as we attempt to map not only the manipulation but ultimately the erasure of our Philippine culture over time.


THIS EXPERIENCE MAY INCLUDE:
Content Warning: This interactive installation utilizes generative AI technology and at any given time may contain imagery that includes nudity, violence, and death. Audience discretion is strongly advised.