Grimes and the 1975 are joining Undercurrent, an event for art and music that will “bring together musicians, artists, creatives, and climate experts to present their reactions to the climate crisis through new interactive multimedia installations,” according to the announcement. Other participating artists include Bon Iver, Jorja Smith, Khruangbin, Miguel, Actress, Aluna, Jayda G, Mount Kimbie and Nosaj Thing.
Each of the artists involved in Undercurrent’s inaugural event will be creating their own individual immersive experiences intended to drive attention to one of three nonprofits: Kiss the Ground, Ocean Conservancy, and Global Forest Generation, all within the Undercurrent space. Those organizations will promote their own programs through the platform via educational modules and installations.
Grimes said, “If we don’t protect the environment the future of consciousness will be artificial, not biological. Would mental health and wellness even be relevant in a world where emotions aren’t an evolutionary advantage? A.I. Meditations were created by a generative language program that was provided with meditations made by humans and, based on those models, created its own meditations without the guiding aid of human emotion. Personally, I find beauty in this work, but it represents a distinct artistic shift from things written by humans. This work isn’t critical of A.I., but rather a neutral depiction of what the wellness landscape might look like without us.”
Tickets are now on sale for its first NYC event, opening Thursday September 9, 2021. After over three years of planning and development, Undercurrent will open in Brooklyn in September, where audiences can explore 60,000 square ft of installations, sustainable food and drink and special programming.
“It’s an exciting time to be working and experimenting in the music space, with technology rapidly changing the way that we create and consume art,” co-founders Steve Milton and Brett Volker said. “We’re thrilled to be offering music fans new ways to experience work by the artists they love and we hope they leave feeling inspired to take action around the climate.”
