Jordan Shaw - Art + Technology ¯\_(ツ)

Reality Edits

Reality Edits is a short film created through the augmentation of video captured by the artist and generated through AI techniques. The artist captured the video footage during a recent trip to visit family on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Having family connections to this part of Canada, the artist's appreciation grows with every visit he makes. Unlike his life in Toronto, where technology and connectivity are fighting for our attention, digital connectivity and cell service are not always reliable or present in parts of Cape Breton.

The original video sources were filmed nature scenes from remote parts of Cape Breton Island. These clips were then augmented using emerging AI technologies and text prompt algorithms. The resulting video plays with themes of disconnect from our surroundings, IRL digital augmentation, and the feelings of sudo-dependence on connectivity. Reflecting on the evolution of digital aesthetics and network speed and bandwidth, this piece aims to be a reminder of digital “progress” over the last decade when low-polygon 3D environments were a 3D aesthetic, facilitated by the technical limitations of network speed, traffic limits and time required in 3D model crafting.

This work aims to encourage reflection on the identities and relationships we try to balance between both digital and physical realities. All the while, we're contending with the ways burgeoning digital innovations continuously reshape our perceptions, interactions and environments.