Jerald: Could you share a bit more about what Entangled Agencies is?

Kian Peng: Entangled Agencies is an attempt to learn about what we don’t yet know about current developments in AI, art, and technology. It’s a way for artists to work with AI in many different ways, especially at a time when we’re facing a kind of crisis — a crisis of imagination and a flood of AI-generated content everywhere. People seem very sold on the idea of the “black box” models that keep flooding the market, both open-source and corporate.

I think it’s important for artists to help shape the world through how we work with AI and art, offering alternative voices and visions of what a world embedded with AI can be. The format of the program — with fellows, modules, and participants — is a way for us to create this entangled mass of knowledge and art production. We don’t really know what exactly will come out of it, but we’re looking forward to seeing what might emerge at the end.

Jerald: Thanks for sharing. Could you tell me more about where this idea came from, or how the project got started?

Kian Peng: It’s actually an extension of a conference I’m chairing right now, which is SIGGRAPH Asia. The theme for the conference is also Entangled Agencies, and while that framing was meant mainly to guide what kinds of papers people might submit, I wanted to go deeper into the topic by working with other artists — and also non-artists.

So this program isn’t just for artists. It’s for people who are working with AI or want to work with art and technology in different ways. That was the motivation for beginning this series of modules.

Jerald: You mentioned that part of the vision is to bring together artists and others interested in art and tech. Do you have in mind any specific demographics or people working with certain technologies or artistic practices that you hope will join the program or what follows from it?

Kian Peng: I’ve been working at the intersection of art and technology for more than fifteen years, and one thing I’ve always tried to do is get people excited about technology. Traditionally, that’s been a challenge, but now is a good time because AI is everywhere — not just in media outlets but among everyday people.

For example, a friend told me about uncles taking AI image generation classes with their phones in hand, asking how to make images. It’s an interesting moment to think about technology, image generation, and generative art.

Through this program, I want to attract artists who might not necessarily be working with technology yet, and offer them tools and knowledge to engage with AI beyond simple prompting.

Jerald: Could you also share a bit about your artistic or curatorial background and how it affects your approach to this program?

Kian Peng: My background is in web design, and I got into generative art by chance. I came across a book during the days of Flash, which introduced me to Processing, an open-source tool for creative coding. That opened the door to the world of media arts and creative coding, which has been very influential in how I think about algorithms and their liberative potential in art and design.

Later, I did a master’s in Design Media Arts, focusing on installations dealing with ecology, nature, and the human–nature dichotomy. My research interest has always involved art, technology, and ecology, and how they connect — the entanglements that shape the world we live in.

I often say that entanglement and confusion are great ways to learn about things we wouldn’t encounter if everything were planned and straightforward. That mindset informs how this program is framed — exploring entanglements, agency, and how these categories often overlap.

One of the hopes is that through these modules, we’ll move away from a Western-centric approach to technology and instead cultivate local, personal, and culturally grounded ways of working — bringing in different philosophies and aesthetics.

Jerald: You’ve spoken a bit about your teaching philosophy. It sounds like the program emphasizes experimentation, inclusivity, and challenging the divide between technology and nature. Could you share what kinds of outcomes you envision from this version of the program? What would success look like in a few months’ time?

Kian Peng: That’s a great question. I don’t really know for sure. We do have a specific output planned — an exhibition combining everything produced and learned throughout the process. But beyond that, I hope many other extensions will emerge — future exhibitions, plans, or iterations of the fellowship that are sustainable and have longevity.

Jerald: One last question. Returning to the title Entangled Agencies — how do you conceive of “agency” in the context of human and machine collaboration? Is there a particular perspective on agency you’d like participants to take away?

Kian Peng: We’re interested in challenging the idea that machine intelligence exists in isolation. Instead, we want to highlight how so-called intelligence arises from many entangled sources — different knowledge systems, people, cultures, and biases that come together to form it. That’s a key message we hope participants internalize throughout this process.

Jerald: That’s all for the interview. Thank you.