Montreal premiere at the Esplanade Tranquille from may 23rd to may 25th
Premiere of our event, The Farm or how to feed an intelligent future.
A 12' x 12' black cube will be installed on the Esplanade tranquille for three days.
A post-show discussion, hosted in collaboration with Multitudes, will take place after each performance.
Performance times are below:
Friday, May 23, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Sunday, May 25, 2025 at 4:00 PM
From May 23rd to 25th, 2025, ATSA, When Art Takes Action, presents The Farm or how to feed an intelligent future, a performance-installation exploring the challenges of artificial intelligence and its impact on our lives. Presented at the Esplanade Tranquille in the Quartier des Spectacles, this participatory experience invites the public to question the omnipresence of AI through a powerful performance led by actress Geneviève Rochette, who becomes the avatar of Annie Roy, who signs and directs the play. In addition to the performance, a series of workshops-discussion led by experts in the field will be presented in Le Réfectoire at the Esplanade Tranquille.
This new project is, in a way, a learning logbook for artist Annie Roy. She delivers it to us with the humility of someone who is unfamiliar with Artificial Intelligence but wants to understand the world imposed on her, for better or for worse. This work takes the form of an audiovisual installation in a public space. It mixes different mediums to put humans back at the center of these reflections, at the center of this world that is increasingly invaded by technology every day. From the intimate to the philosophical, a cube/scene will refer viewers to their own connection with this technology. This interactive work of art invites us to engage in a critical approach together. With excerpts from interviews with specialists and communicators such as Matthieu Dugal, Dave Anctil, Michal Seta, etc., Annie offers to be our guide on this dreamlike journey to the confines of the artificial. This work in perpetual creation will be nourished by exchanges with the public and technological advances, all in order to imagine the future together.
A 12' x 12' black cube to illuminate our consciousness (installation available 24/7)
The Farm was born from a vital question: Why is such technology imposing itself on our lives at a time when we should be reducing our ecological footprint? Is the impact on our cultural and territorial sovereignty worth the effort? The acceleration of these transformations, their geopolitical and environmental consequences, raise concerns, even though we have little control over their evolution. What if we were programming our own obsolescence? La Ferme pushes us to take a stand towards reality, to rediscover our wonder at the life that beats within each of us, all with an unashamedly Quebecois bias.
This striking installation, designed and directed by Annie Roy in collaboration with Raymond Marius Boucher, takes the form of a monumental 12'x12' black cube, a metaphor for the black box of AI and the data farms that feed its algorithms. Combining video projections, stage performances, and interactive discussions, The Farm is an invitation to place humans back at the center of thinking about technology.
Annie Roy guides us through a critical exploration of AI and its implications.
"I'm part of the generation with a rotary phone and a rabbit antenna television. The speed of evolution, which scientists themselves struggle to control, in the context of a capitalist marketing system constantly striving for profit maximization, is alarming. We need to understand in our own flesh what all this entails. The Farm is a theatrical installation in a public space, designed to experience our emotions, create a sense of community and encourage discussion between real humans who are feeling overwhelmed by machines."
- Annie Roy, co-founder of ATSA and director
This event will offer the public the opportunity to participate in the creation process and enrich collective reflection, in order to imagine together a future where technology truly serves humanity.
An engaging and participatory program written without artificial intelligence.