Reading about fire isn’t the same as being burned.

The world is changing. How do you make sense of these changes? How will you make a home in the world that's coming?

Through immersive and interactive installations, publishing, programming, and workshops, UKAI Projects imagines and produces "culture for what's coming".

We provide you and your audiences with direct encounters with climate change, artificial intelligence, authoritarianism, and more so that you can make sense of what's happening and commit to action going forward.

About UKAI ProjectsContact Us

Programs

How you work, what you do, and why you do it will necessarily change as our world changes. UKAI's programs build commitment and capacity to move forward because the commitments come from the participants themselves.

Our programs prepare you and your organization with the resilience to work with and alongside ongoing volatility.

  • Build resilience to massive issues such as climate change, rising authoritarianism, and an explosion in artificial intelligence. 
  • Build facility with new tools and technologies that can help you make a home in a changed world.

Our collective well-being hinges on our ability to live in right relation with the world we’re creating.

Are you ready?

Read More About Our Programs
View Full Program Schedule

What people say about us —

  • Rachana Joshi, artist, Nova Dance (CA)

    "Working with UKAI has been invaluable for the Reconnections - body/heart/mind project. This initiative began during the pandemic when Sukruti and I, representing Nova Dance, participated in UKAI project's Migrations Residency. During this time, we were connected to collaborators, engaged with the community, and held crucial discussions about digital spaces, algorithms, and how culturally sensitive organizations could pivot online. The prototype we developed for an online sanctuary for sharing and collaborating through mindful movement practices in Migrations laid the groundwork for the Reconnections project.The UKAI team continued to nurture this idea as we progressed towards creating a tangible website/app. From the application process to the final presentation, UKAI provided dedicated support."

  • Martynas Petreikis, SÍM Residency Director (IS)

    "The Shipwreck project successfully activated our space, transforming it into a vibrant hub of artistic and intellectual activity. The interactive nature of the installations and the open invitation for public participation drew in diverse audiences, including local residents, art enthusiasts, and international visitors. The project’s emphasis on dialogue and engagement allowed for a deeper connection with the artworks, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose."

  • Keith Taylor, Executive Director, DUCA Impact Lab (CA)

    "UKAI Projects offers a unique perspective on the links between the systems driving our current cultural challenges and our collective well-being. Our work together provided us with valuable insights, much of which still informs our work today."

We believe people need to inhabit changes if they’re going to do anything about them—to be responsible we need to make sense of things for ourselves.

UKAI creates interactive and immersive encounters with large-scale changes.

Move through discomfort:

Our encounters involve discomfort but participants are supported to hold that discomfort and make sense of it. When we avoid uncomfortable experiences, we avoid having to respond.

Moving beyond ideologies:

When we rely on ideologies to make our decisions, we are skipping a step. We’ve decided what something means before we have the experience. UKAI's encounters provide the experience AND the space to make meaning.

Move into new approaches:

The thinking that got us here isn't the thinking that will get us out of it. Direct encounters provide the raw material to prototype new approaches.

If you are a purpose-driven organization and sometimes struggle to get people to move past abstract interest in an issue to concrete action, maybe we can help.

Work with us

Work with UKAI Projects

Cultures evolve to meet the needs of the people in them and the demands of the world around them. What kind of culture(s) will we need in order to live in a world altered by smart machines, rising temperatures, and volatile governments?


We will work with you to:

  • Create experiences that allow people to step into issues that matter rather than thinking about them abstractly or through a polarized lens
  • Prototype new ways of responding through culture
  • Publishing and other media production to amplify approaches that increase the solutions we can draw on going forward
Book a 15-minute ConversationPropose a Commission

We are not passive recipients of culture. We make it.

Direct encounters, rather than abstract and ideological ones, are necessary if we hope to make a home in this changing world.

Work with UKAI Projects

Hear from our collaborators—

  • Maitri Platform

    As a founding member of the Maitri Platform, I had a chance to work with UKAI in Maitri's earliest days. The COVID-19 pandemic had just been declared and we were all disoriented and unsure about what was to come. Like the rest of us, the team at UKAI had no idea either. But, UKAI did have great ideas about how we might organize ourselves as a global community. Their approach helped us sense check, and find a tentative path forward. Maitri wouldn't be what it is today without UKAI. In the years since, UKAI has stimulated our community to think about head-splitting problems related to algorithmic culture and also raised funds for our humanitarian efforts. We are proud to count UKAI among the organizations that have made the Maitri Platform fertile ground for exploration, discovery, and development of new approaches to humanity's challenges.

    —

    Hannah Bamwerinde (UG)

    Founder Adventures With Locals Women and Community Development Through Sustainable Tourism

  • SÍM Residency, Iceland

    The "Shipwreck" project successfully activated our space located on the outskirts of the city Reykjavík and in an area without a recent history of high-profile exhibitions, transforming it into a vibrant hub of artistic and intellectual activity. The interactive nature of the installations and the open invitation for public participation drew in diverse audiences, including local residents, art enthusiasts, and international visitors. The project’s emphasis on dialogue and engagement allowed for a deeper connection with the artworks, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.

    "Shipwreck" attracted significant attention from leaders in the local arts scene, who were keen to witness this model of immersive and collaborative art-making in action. This was complemented by coverage on Iceland’s national radio and in print. The project’s unique approach and the quality of the artworks exhibited garnered visits from prominent curators, gallery owners, and cultural policymakers. Their engagement not only validated the project's impact but also highlighted its potential as a model for future art initiatives.

    —

    Martynas Petreikis (IS)

    SÍM Residency Director

    Samband íslenskramyndlistarmanna SÍM | The Association of Icelandic Visual Artists

Our collaborators and partners include—

Visit our chaotic archive

  • SíM Residency (IS)

  • Goethe-Institut (CA)

  • Applied AI Institute at Concordia University

  • MUTEK Montreal (CA)

  • Ferme Lanthorn (CA)

  • Place-des-artistes de Farrellton

  • Hebbel am ufer (DE)

  • STO Union

  • Canada Council for the Arts

  • Toronto Arts Council

  • Canadian Heritage

  • Arts Council Korea

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Visit our chaotic archive

Interested in getting involved? Try an encounter or learn more about our programming.

Event Schedule

Upcoming Events

Past Events

Aberrant AI Residency: Information Session

Wed Aug 14, 2024 @ 05:00 pm

Register

Delivery: Zoom

Event Type: Residency + Retreat

Join an information session about UKAI's Aberrant AI Residency!

Aberrant AI invites artists and others to explore the potential creative applications of artificial intelligence to express conditions of horror and the macabre. Horror is a profound way of engaging with the unknown and the unknowable aspects of existence. Participants will examine how AI can both embody and provoke the existential dread and sublime terror that horror evokes, challenging our perceptions of control, autonomy, and the limits of human understanding.

This unique five-week residency will delve into the philosophical dimensions of horror, using AI as a tool and medium to create unsettling works that challenge our perceptions of control and human understanding.

Participants will engage in collaborative workshops, critical discussions, and individual exploration to produce work that illuminates the darker sides of technological advancement. The residency culminates in an exhibition, part of UKAI Project’s unofficial Nuit Blanche activities.

Artists receive a $250 honorarium and up to $100 in material fees.

Acknowledgement:

UKAI Project’s nation-wide AI programming is made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Editions in Space: Breaking Artspeak

Fri Aug 16, 2024 @ 06:00 pm

Register

Delivery: in-person

Event Type: 3-hour Workshop

Get ready to break through all the fancy jargon and dive into the art world with Editions in Space!

BREAKING ARTSPEAK

Ever lost your way describing your own artistic practice? Or read a description that says nothing about the performance you are going to witness?

Editions in Space is partnering with UKAI Projects to offer workshops exploring new, conversational ways to describe creative output : your past, present, or future work. We hope to uncover approaches that breaks through art speak with unique self-expression, and distill creative ideas germinating around us.

Editions in Space is a brand new platform dedicated to the discovery of culture based on proximity. Think of it like a magazine in space; giving you access to profiles on artists and events nearby. We’d like creative voices to resonate at the neighbourhood scale, and are exploring models to showcase artistic practice in a relatable, yet professional manner.

We hope this facilitates connections with art that already exists.

Participants will receive a modest honorarium and a light meal. Please bring a
smartphone or device to experience the Editions in Space prototype.

Date: Friday, Aug 16, 2024

Doors: 5:30 pm

Time: 6 - 8 pm

8pm – onwards: stay and mingle at UKAI Projects DJ takeover

Location: 4F – 379 Adelaide Street West, Toronto, ON

Learn more about Editions in Space: https://www.editionsinspace.com/

Editions in Space: DJ Takeover

Fri Aug 16, 2024 @ 08:00 pm

Register

Delivery: in-person

Event Type: Exihibition + Party

FCome to The Bridge for a night of experimental, downtempo, drone DJ set
by our very own Cassraa and with a number of surprise, special guests.

Following our Editions in Space workshop we will spin tunes from 8pm till midnight! Open to everyone!

Navigating a Polarized World: Information Session

Information Session

Wed Aug 21, 2024 @ 05:00 pm

Register

Delivery: Zoom

Event Type: Comprehensive Program

In a world marked by division and discord, demonstrating moral courage is essential. However, social polarization too often leads to frustration and real risk for those operating outside of popular ideologies. Our “Noise and Signal” program is for those with a clear purpose but who find themselves slowed or misunderstood by those with a vested interest in existing ideological debates. Are you ready to confront and bridge societal divides with resilience and creativity? 

Running from October 17, 2024 to January 24, 2025, this blended online and in-person immersive program focuses on the raw and volatile challenge of navigating a polarized landscape.

Over the course of this program, participants will:

  • Engage Deeply: Dive into intensive workshops and dynamic discussions that push (and erase) boundaries. Explore the power of narrative and storytelling to reshape perspectives and foster understanding.
  • Innovate Fearlessly: Learn to leverage cutting-edge strategies and technologies to create impact. Harness the potential of digital tools and AI to drive change in your community and beyond.
  • Lead Authentically: Develop a framework rooted in empathy, integrity, and cultural awareness to make decisions with confidence. Embrace the complexities of identity and experience to lead with purpose..
  • Build Bridges: Collaborate with a diverse cohort of peers and mentors who bring unique insights and experiences. Foster connections that transcend ideological divides and promote collective action.

This program combines online and in-person elements, including an in-person intensive in Toronto from January 14 - 17, 2025. Made possible through the Canada Council for the Arts, participants will receive comprehensive resources and guidance, although travel and accommodation costs are not included.

Acknowledgement: UKAI Project’s nation-wide AI programming is made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Aberrant AI Residency

Tue Sep 10, 2024 @ 08:30 pm

Register

Delivery: blended

Event Type: Residency + Retreat

Send us a link to your past work and what you are hoping to accomplish during the residency to home@ukaiprojects.com before August 31, 2024.

Note: Artists receive a $250 honorarium and up to $100 in material fees.

Aberrant AI invites artists and others to explore the potential creative applications of artificial intelligence to express conditions of horror and the macabre. Horror is a profound way of engaging with the unknown and the unknowable aspects of existence. Participants will examine how AI can both embody and provoke the existential dread and sublime terror that horror evokes, challenging our perceptions of control, autonomy, and the limits of human understanding.

This unique five-week residency will delve into the philosophical dimensions of horror, using AI as a tool and medium to create unsettling works that challenge our perceptions of control and human understanding.

Participants will engage in collaborative workshops, critical discussions, and individual exploration to produce work that illuminates the darker sides of technological advancement. The residency culminates in an exhibition, part of UKAI Project’s unofficial Nuit Blanche activities.

Acknowledgement: UKAI Project’s nation-wide AI programming is made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

AI Workshop Series: Toronto

3-day package

Wed Sep 18, 2024 @ 09:00 am

Register

Delivery: in-person

Event Type: 1-day Workshop

This package includes all three workshop days - Finding your way with AI, AI Art Intensive, and the AI Community Session and Poetics of Synthetic Launch (and after-party).

See each of the individual program descriptions for more details or reach out to us at home@ukaiprojects.com

Finding your Way with AI: Toronto

1-day workshop

Wed Sep 18, 2024 @ 09:00 am

Register

Delivery: Workshop Series

Event Type: 1-day Workshop

A 1-day crash course for creators worried about being left behind.

"Finding Your Way with AI" is a 1-day workshop being delivered across Canada. It is designed to support creators who feel anxious about the rapid integration of AI into artistic practices. "Finding Your Way with AI" aims to demystify AI and help participants discover how they can harness this technology to enhance their creative processes. Drawing from UKAI’s experimental approaches over the past five years, this information session will answer questions from potential participants about the types of hands-on activities, collaborative discussions, and exploratory exercises to expect and that might illuminate the possibilities AI offers for the arts. Workshops are structured to encourage a deep and thoughtful exploration of AI's role in artistic practice, emphasizing practical, real-world applications.

At UKAI Projects, our broader mission is to question dominant narratives and explore alternative ways of understanding and interacting with the world. By offering this series of workshops, we aim to equip artists with the tools to navigate the evolving landscape of AI in a way that aligns with their idiosyncratic practices and resists the homogenizing tendencies of centralized technological control .

Workshop Series Schedule

  • Finding your Way with AI: September 18, 2024
  • AI Art Intensive: September 19, 2024
  • AI Community Event: September 20, 2024

Participation Fee:

  • $35 for one day
  • $75 for all three days at your location (Finding your Way with AI, AI Art Intensive, and AI Community Event)

Acknowledgement: UKAI Project’s nation-wide AI programming is made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

AI Art Intensive: Toronto

Thu Sep 19, 2024 @ 08:30 pm

Register

Delivery: Workshop Series

Event Type: 1-day Workshop

The "AI Art Intensive" builds upon the foundational knowledge from the "Finding Your Way with AI" workshop but attendance on the first day is not a requirement. This intensive session is dedicated to helping creators develop their AI-enhanced art projects from concept to realization. Participants will receive guidance on project development, prototyping, and testing their ideas in a supportive environment. The focus is on practical, hands-on learning, where participants can move their artistic ideas into actionable projects, using AI tools and techniques.

UKAI’s approach emphasizes the value of collaborative creation and the development of diverse perspectives in the use of AI. By supporting artists in moving from idea to implementation, we reinforce our commitment to fostering a polyphony of voices and approaches in cultural production. This method not only enriches individual artistic practices but also contributes to a more resilient and adaptable cultural ecosystem .

Toronto Workshop Series Schedule

  • Finding your Way with AI: September 18, 2024
  • AI Art Intensive: September 19, 2024
  • AI Community Event: September 20, 2024

Participation Fee:

  • $35 for one day
  • $75 for all three days at your location (Finding your Way with AI, AI Art Intensive, and AI Community Event)

Acknowledgement: UKAI Project’s nation-wide AI programming is made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

AI Salon and Celebration with Launch of Poetics of Synthetic Language

includes funding reveal from Malcolm!

Fri Sep 20, 2024 @ 03:00 pm

Register

Delivery: in-person

Event Type: 1-day Workshop

September 20, 2024 is going to be one to remember, culminating in the Funding
Reveal from Malcolm Costello and our unnamed investor!

  • AI artworks from local and international artists
  • Opportunities to connect with other creators
  • Lots of free stuff
  • A reading from In Praise of Disorder
  • Launch of Poetics of Synthetic Language
  • Funding reveal from our unnamed investor
  • Live music and DJ sets until the early hours

Be in the room when Malcolm announces the investment in UKAI Projects!

See artistic works from local and international artists!

Book launch and lots of goodies!

300 pm - 530 pm Networking and AI Art

530 pm - 600 pm Reading from In Praise of Disorder

600 pm - 645 pm Poetics of Synthetic Language Launch

700 pm - 745 pm Community activities and salon

800 pm - 900 pm AV Show from surprise guest

900 pm - 1145 pm Music and good times

1145 pm - 1200 am UKAI Funding Reveal from Malcolm

midnight - Celebration!

We will also be launching our Poetics of Synthetic Language publication.

Poetics of Synthetic Language was a multi-month research residency for cultural producers exploring the poetics of large language models and synthetic language generally. What happens to the poetics of a work when language is being drawn not from engagement with the world but rather from a large language model trained on a vast corpus of human language? What are the risks and opportunities of relying on synthetic language that is not participating in the continuous process of becoming and evolving that defines language running wild in the world?

On September 20, 2024, we will be launching this new publication and several of the contributing artists will be on hand to share their process and the work.

Toronto Workshop Series Schedule

  • Finding your Way with AI: September 18, 2024
  • AI Art Intensive: September 19, 2024
  • AI Community Session and Poetics of Synthetic Language Launch: September 20, 2024

Participation Fee:

  • $15 for one day or free with a pre-order of the publication (limited to 90 copies)
  • $75 for all three days at your location (Finding your Way with AI, AI Art Intensive, and AI Community Event)

These programs aim to create a supportive and dynamic environment for artists interested in exploring the intersection of AI and creative practice, ensuring that participants leave with a richer understanding and practical skills to integrate AI into their work.

This programming is made possible with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and The Writer's Union of Canada through the Canada Council for the
Arts.

AI for Arts and Culture Leaders: Information Session

Wed Oct 16, 2024 @ 06:00 pm

Register

Delivery: Online

Event Type: Comprehensive Program

Get a sneak peek of our upcoming program, "AI for Arts and Culture Leaders," running from November 13 to February 21, 2025. This webinar will introduce participants to some key themes for arts administrators and leaders thinking about artificial intelligence (1 hour) and provide information and respond to questions about the forthcoming program (30 minutes). 

“AI for Arts and Culture Leaders” is a comprehensive program, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, intended for arts and culture administrators eager to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on their sector and their day-to-day work.

The full program will feature a blend of online and in-person elements, including webinars, workshops, and discussions with experts. Participants will gain practical insights into the benefits and challenges of AI in arts administration, focusing on pragmatic solutions and strategies for digital transformation. The online portion of the program will run from November 13, 2024 to February 21, 2025 and the in-person intensive will be held in Toronto from February 4 to 7, 2025.

With a fee of $299 + HST, this program includes all necessary texts and materials, although travel and accommodation in Toronto are not covered. Enhance your ability to innovate and adapt in a digital cultural environment and prepare for the future of arts management.

Acknowledgement: UKAI Project’s nation-wide AI programming is made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Note that this program is funded through the Canada Council. Future iterations will be priced at $599/program.

Local Disturbances

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In ecology, a “local disturbance” refers to a disruption in a specific area that can spill out into broader infrastructure, environments, and/or communities. At UKAI Projects, Local Disturbances include media production, workshops, talks, parties, publications, and field recordings that are constrained in time and space but that are designed to disturb broader systems.

  • The Problem with AI Ethics

    The Problem with AI Ethics

    UKAI Projects · Local Disturbances - Shorts #38 - The Problem with AI Ethics   Two friends are walking down a busy street in Toronto and come across some young...

    The Problem with AI Ethics

    UKAI Projects · Local Disturbances - Shorts #38 - The Problem with AI Ethics   Two friends are walking down a busy street in Toronto and come across some young...

  • Working with Images of Language

    Working with Images of Language

    UKAI Projects · Local Disturbances - Shorts #37 - Final Notes on Double Voiced Speech   Some Final Thoughts on Double-Voiced Speech “Joyce’s text destabilizes the ideological structures implicit in...

    Working with Images of Language

    UKAI Projects · Local Disturbances - Shorts #37 - Final Notes on Double Voiced Speech   Some Final Thoughts on Double-Voiced Speech “Joyce’s text destabilizes the ideological structures implicit in...

  • Generative Language as a Vehicle for Satire

    Generative Language as a Vehicle for Satire

    UKAI Projects · Local Disturbances - Shorts #36 - Generative Language as a Vehicle for Satire (note that blog posts are published in parallel through our Local Disturbances podcast) Recently,...

    Generative Language as a Vehicle for Satire

    UKAI Projects · Local Disturbances - Shorts #36 - Generative Language as a Vehicle for Satire (note that blog posts are published in parallel through our Local Disturbances podcast) Recently,...

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All net proceeds of UKAI merchandise goes to support journalists and writers facing forced return to Afghanistan who have received visas from safe haven nations.

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