The Intersect of Tech and Art

Juergen Berkessel

Curious about how technology and art collide, spark, and sometimes totally confuse each other? The Intersect of Tech and Art is your backstage pass to the wild, weird, and wonderful world where digital innovation meets creative expression. Created by Juergen Berkessel—a lifelong artist, technologist, and enthusiast for all things experimental—this podcast is for anyone who loves art, design, tech, or just a good story about the creative process. Whether you’re a digital artist, designer, tech enthusiast, or simply fascinated by how artificial intelligence, digital tools, and new technologies are shaking up the arts, you’ll find real-world insights and plenty of inspiration here. Each week, The Intersect dives into everything from digital art and AI in art to creative technology, design trends, and the latest breakthroughs in art technology. Expect lively features about artists and innovators, hands-on explorations of AI creativity, algorithmic art, and musings on how blockchain, augmented reality, and digital culture are transforming the art community. Episodes are packed with honest conversations, practical examples, and a healthy dose of friendly curiosity—plus a few laughs along the way. What sets The Intersect apart? It’s guided by Juergen’s unique perspective as someone who’s been both a practicing artist and a digital strategist since the days when floppy disks were still cool. The show was born out of the same curiosity and tension that drives the art-tech world: how do we balance human creativity with the possibilities (and pitfalls) of technology? That’s what keeps our community of artists, technologists, and innovators coming back—and keeps our newsletter subscriber numbers growing strong (with almost nobody unsubscribing, which is practically a miracle). Episodes run 20–30 minutes and drop weekly, making The Intersect a perfect listen for your coffee break, commute, or creative session. You’ll hear a mix of in-depth interviews, solo commentary, and the occasional panel-style discussion—always with a light, friendly tone that makes even the most complex tech trends feel accessible. A little transparency: this podcast is produced with the help of AI voice technology and synthetic voice tools. Why? Because frankly, the only way to bring this carefully researched, lovingly curated content from the newsletter to your ears each week is by experimenting with the very tools we talk about. Every episode is crafted, written, and reviewed by Juergen and a human team—AI is just our sidekick, not the boss. We see this as part of the ongoing conversation (and sometimes the tension) at the heart of art and tech today. Ready to join the fun, learn something new, and be part of a growing community at the intersect of art, design, and technology? Subscribe now to The Intersect of Tech and Art and don’t miss a single episode. For all the latest and to explore the full archive, visit theintersect.art.

  1. Going Backward to Go Somewhere New

    May 19

    Going Backward to Go Somewhere New

    The companion podcast to Issue No.78 of The Intersect. Chelsea and Georgia sit with a question the newsletter only gestures at: when artists deliberately slow down — soldering their own synths, drawing with pendulums, dressing new software in 1970s clothing — is that creative progress, or just well-designed comfort in the face of AI? Pull up a chair for the friction. Contents00:00 Slow Tools, New Costumes00:01 The Software That Feels Old00:04 Build It Yourself Synths00:07 Innovation Meets Countermovement00:09 The Harmonograph Mystery00:12 What Deliberate Inefficiency Means In this episodeSlow Tools, New Costumes — Three very different objects, one suspiciously similar gesture. Chelsea and Georgia open with the hunch that's about to run through the whole conversation. The Software That Feels Old — Giorgio Sancristoforo's Homework runs on Apple Silicon but looks like it crawled out of a 1973 studio. Why do musicians keep choosing virtual patch cables when cleaner interfaces exist? The answer isn't really about sound. Build It Yourself Synths — The Music Thing Workshop Computer arrives as a bag of components. Thonk can't keep them on the shelves. A conversation about why people who grew up on plugins are now reaching for a soldering iron — and what that says about innovation in instruments versus innovation in sound. Innovation Meets Countermovement — Ellen McGirt's Design Observer piece traces a pattern older than any of us. Photography didn't kill painting; synths didn't kill acoustic music. So what becomes retro when AI image generation matures? The Harmonograph Mystery — Raf Jakob's wooden side table makes one drawing in ten minutes and then it's done. Is calling it furniture a meaningful gesture, or well-designed cope? Maybe both. What Deliberate Inefficiency Means — Four objects, one gesture. Chelsea and Georgia land on the honest answer — and on what the counter-movement to AI might actually look like when it arrives in full. Stay in the loopIf you want to sit with these questions every week, come find us — no hype, no doom, just the friction. Website: theintersect.artInstagram: @theintersectnewsThreads: @jberkesselBlueSky: @polymash.bsky.socialSubstack: The Intersect on SubstackLinkedIn: Juergen Berkessel

    14 min
  2. The Same Sky, Two Feelings

    May 12

    The Same Sky, Two Feelings

    The companion podcast to Issue No. 77 of The Intersect. Chelsea and Georgia sit with a question that doesn't resolve cleanly: when wonder and surveillance share the same infrastructure, does knowing that change what you felt before you knew it? The conversation keeps circling back — and it's worth following it all the way around. Contents00:00 Introduction to Aerial Perspectives00:00 Aerial Photography Competitions00:03 The Bittersweet Progress of Technology00:04 The Internet's Changing Nature00:06 The Arc of Technology00:08 Record-Breaking Drone Displays00:11 The Duality of Drone Art00:13 Absurdity in Drone Displays00:15 Sound and Surveillance Art00:17 Patterns of Technology and Control00:18 Conclusion: Coexisting Realities In this episodeSeeing the world from above. DJI's SkyPixel competition is in its 11th year and has handed out nearly $200,000 in prizes — but the real question is what happens to the joy of a perspective when the tool that unlocks it also coordinates strikes. The internet's familiar arc. The web's journey from liberation to lock-in maps onto the drone story with uncomfortable precision. Chelsea and Georgia trace a pattern that, once you see it, is hard to stop seeing everywhere. 22,582 drones, one computer. A new Guinness World Record for simultaneous airborne drones is genuinely awe-inspiring — and genuinely unsettling for exactly the same reason. Drift's Franchise Freedom at LACMA. A swarm-based drone performance that deliberately evokes starling murmurations raises a harder question: can art reclaim an image once its shadow has been cast? Skeletor trolls the freeway. A lighthearted pop-culture drone stunt turns out to be a useful measuring stick — for just how wide the gap has grown between what's possible here and what's possible elsewhere. The Harbinger: sound and surveillance. An art installation shifts the medium from the visual to the audible, asking when exactly we stopped noticing the surveillance creeping in — and what it sounds like when care and control become the same thing. Stay in the loopIf this conversation stayed with you, follow The Intersect for the full newsletter, the images, and Juergen's curation — weekly, free, and worth it. Website: theintersect.artInstagram: @theintersectnewsThreads: @jberkesselBlueSky: @polymash.bsky.socialSubstack: The Intersect on SubstackLinkedIn: Juergen Berkessel

    19 min
  3. The Medium Always Survives Its Own Funeral

    May 5

    The Medium Always Survives Its Own Funeral

    The companion podcast to Issue No. 76 of The Intersect. We sit with a question that refuses to stay still: if photography keeps surviving every medium that was supposed to kill it, is it actually the thing we thought it was — or something stranger and more stubborn? Listen before you read; the newsletter has the links, the curation, and the full context. Contents00:00 Photography's Unending Cycle00:02 The Return to Old Techniques00:03 Modern Interpretations of Historical Methods00:05 The Impact of AI on Photography00:07 AIPAD's Omission of AI00:08 Film History and Its Parallels00:09 Photography's Evolution, Not Death00:11 Embracing Ambiguity in Art In this episodeLartigue's color rebellion and the pattern it set. When Jacques-Henri Lartigue turned to color, purists called it treason. Chelsea and Georgia trace how that moment rhymes uncomfortably well with arguments happening right now — and what it suggests about which side of history tends to look foolish in retrospect. Cameras optional: the return to pre-lens chemistry. Some photographers working today have quietly put their cameras down and gone back to 18th-century light-sensitive experiments — photograms, expired paper from 1946, iodine-drenched skylights. The question isn't whether it's nostalgic. It's why it feels so urgent right now. AIPAD's conspicuous silence. Seventy-seven galleries, work stretching back to 1917, and not a word about AI-generated imagery. Chelsea and Georgia weigh whether that's principled confidence or something closer to whistling past a graveyard. What early film history is quietly telling us. A kaleidoscopic Aeon video about forgotten film pioneers lands differently when you're watching visual language shift in real time. The parallels are hard to ignore — and oddly steadying. Digital Doubles and the pleasure of not knowing. Carlo Zapella's Budapest show mixes analog photographs, 3D renders, and sculpture until you genuinely can't tell which is which. Chelsea and Georgia find it less unsettling than liberating — and maybe a preview of where photography goes from here. Stay in the loopIf these conversations are your kind of thing, follow The Intersect and help keep the curation going. Website: theintersect.artInstagram: @theintersectnewsThreads: @jberkesselBlueSky: @polymash.bsky.socialSubstack: The Intersect on SubstackLinkedIn: Juergen Berkessel

    12 min
  4. Wrenches, Paper, Waste: Organic Holds its Ground

    Apr 28

    Wrenches, Paper, Waste: Organic Holds its Ground

    The companion podcast to Issue No. 75 of The Intersect. Chelsea and Georgia sit with a question that runs underneath every story this week: in a world that rewards speed and automation, what does it mean — and what does it cost — to insist on doing something the hard way? Listen before you read, or read before you listen; either way, the newsletter at theintersect.art has everything they couldn't fit into the conversation. Contents00:00 The Hard Way: An Artistic Choice00:04 Nostalgia and Technology00:07 Transforming Waste into Art00:10 The Power of Industrial Waste00:11 The Value of Difficulty in Creation In this episodePaper cameras that move — Manabu Kasaka builds hyper-realistic paper replicas of vintage cameras — film advance lever and all — by hand. Chelsea and Georgia dig into why artists keep returning to obsolete technology through the most labor-intensive methods imaginable, and whether that's nostalgia or something more pointed. Boomboxes, hand-cut from colored paper — Zim and Zoo reconstruct dead audio technology from layers of cut and folded paper — no digital fabrication, no shortcuts. Is it preservation, mild defiance, or process as protest? The conversation goes somewhere unexpected. Plastic waste as coral — Artist collective Rasheera melts and casts discarded plastic into organic, coral-like forms. The objects are genuinely beautiful. Georgia isn't sure that makes her feel better about any of it, and Chelsea doesn't entirely disagree. Wrenches as furniture — Iyo Hasegawa stacks offset wrenches into chairs and tables held together by nothing but nuts and washers — no glue, no welding, fully reversible. Juergen's curatorial note about AI and job security gives this one an extra edge worth hearing. Fashion waste as sculpture — Issey Miyake's studio compresses the pleating paper from its own production waste into log-like furniture. Chelsea and Georgia ask whether quiet transformation is enough, or whether it just makes consumption feel more poetic than it should. Stay in the loopIf these conversations matter to you, follow The Intersect and support the newsletter that makes them possible. Website: theintersect.artInstagram: @theintersectnewsThreads: @jberkesselBlueSky: @polymash.bsky.socialSubstack: The Intersect on SubstackLinkedIn: Juergen Berkessel

    12 min
  5. Meaning at the Threshold

    Apr 21

    Meaning at the Threshold

    The companion podcast to Issue No. 74 of The Intersect. Chelsea and Georgia sit with a question that doesn't resolve neatly: when technology shows up at the most unrepeatable moments of human experience — the most intimate, the most historic, the most vast — does it bear witness, or does it intrude? Read the newsletter for the full context; listen here for the conversation. Contents00:00 Heavy Questions and Threshold Moments00:02 Life, Inc. and Brainwaves00:04 From Authority to Communal Participation00:05 Ethics in AI and Education00:07 Capturing the Moon: Astronaut Photography00:09 Technology as Witness to Human Experience In this episodeA printing press at the bedside. An Irish artist built a mobile printing press designed to be wheeled right up to a hospital bed in palliative care. Chelsea and Georgia wrestle with whether that's a profound gift or an unbearable ask — and why the answer might depend entirely on what you still need to say. Brainwaves made visible. A project turning bodily signals into three-dimensional forms has been running since 1979 — long before most people owned a computer. What does it mean to make the invisible electrical life of the body into something you can actually see? From temples to communal polyphony. An academic paper traces the shift in how cultural meaning gets made — from institutional authority to something far more participatory. The example it uses to make the case might surprise you. AI, history, and the education secretary. When a senior government official posts AI-generated images of real historical women without disclosure, it stops being a question about art and becomes a question about trust, accuracy, and who sets the standard. Astronauts learning to see. The Artemis II crew trained as photographers before heading to the moon — composition, framing, contrast, all of it. Georgia and Chelsea dig into what it actually takes to document something no one has witnessed in fifty years. Technology as witness. The thread running through every story: technology keeps arriving at moments almost too big or too intimate for words. Sometimes it rises to them. Sometimes it doesn't. Stay in the loopIf these conversations make you think differently about art, technology, and where they collide, follow The Intersect and help spread the word. Website: theintersect.artInstagram: @theintersectnewsThreads: @jberkesselBlueSky: @polymash.bsky.socialSubstack: The Intersect on SubstackLinkedIn: Juergen Berkessel

    10 min
  6. Tools in the Back Room, Not on the Wall

    Mar 25

    Tools in the Back Room, Not on the Wall

    In this episode of The Intersect podcast, hosts Chelsea and Georgia explore Issue No. 73 of The Intersect newsletter, diving deep into how technology operates as invisible infrastructure in the art world rather than the main attraction. From deepfake interviews to magnetic camera modules, discover how artists and institutions navigate the rapidly evolving technological landscape. Episode HighlightsDeepfake Sam Altman Interview: Filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough creates "SamBot," a deepfake of OpenAI's CEO, to explore AI's existential questions when the real Altman won't return his callsRefik Anadol's 'Unsupervised' at MoMA: An AI-powered installation that transforms 138,000 MoMA artworks into morphing abstractions, sparking debates about AI as art versus data visualizationArtsy Gallery Survey: 57% of galleries use AI for admin tasks, but only 9% consider AI-generated art legitimate - revealing a stark divide in technology's roleTrevor Paglen's Ironic Award: The surveillance-critical artist wins a $100,000 prize sponsored by LG Corporation, highlighting the complex relationship between art and corporate powerXiaomi's Modular Camera Innovation: Magnetic camera lenses for foldable phones promise to revolutionize mobile photographyNicole Nikolich's Crochet Nostalgia: Six-foot yarn recreations of Windows 95 and The Sims interfaces transform obsolete technology into textile artLA's Museum Explosion: Multiple major museums opening in 2026, including LACMA's revolutionary approach to curation organized by oceans rather than periods Key ThemesThe episode examines how technology serves as infrastructure rather than inspiration in contemporary art. Through stories ranging from AI-generated museum pieces to crochet computer interfaces, we explore the negotiation happening in real-time about where technology belongs in creative practice. The conversation highlights how artists struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI, while galleries embrace tech for productivity but resist it as an artistic medium. About The IntersectThe Intersect is a weekly newsletter and podcast examining how technology shapes artistic practice and how creativity informs technological development. Each episode provides nuanced analysis, case studies, and practitioner perspectives from the intersection of art and technology. Subscribe & ConnectSubscribe to The Intersect newsletter at theintersect.art for weekly insights into technology's impact on artistic practice and creativity's role in technological progress. Follow the conversation across social media and join our community exploring the dynamic relationship between art and technology.

    18 min
  7. When Everything Works Too Well

    Feb 24

    When Everything Works Too Well

    In this thought-provoking episode of The Intersect, hosts Chelsea and Georgia dive deep into Issue #72 of The Intersect newsletter, exploring the paradox of hyper-efficiency in creative systems. When technology becomes too seamless and systems work too well, what essential human elements might we lose? From BAFTA's new 'human creativity' awards to the emergence of 'visual elevator music' from AI experiments, this episode examines the delicate balance between technological innovation and authentic human expression. Episode HighlightsBAFTA's Human Achievement Awards: The film academy introduces 'human achievement' as a guiding principle, explicitly banning AI-generated avatars from acting honors while acknowledging AI's growing role in production.Truth in Photography Reimagined: Exploring how the inability to distinguish real photos from AI-generated ones might be an opportunity to rethink visual storytelling rather than a crisis of authenticity.Visual Elevator Music: Researchers create an endless loop between text-to-image and image-to-text AI systems, resulting in pleasant but utterly generic visual content that reveals what AI preserves without human intervention.The Recursive Aesthetic Paradox: How AI feeding on its own output leads to 'model collapse' and design homogenization, making human imperfections increasingly valuable.The Color Blue's Non-Existence: Maria Popova's exploration of how blue exists only through absence, challenging our assumptions about perception and reality.Cosmos Exhibition: Artists merge technical processes with creative vision at Bristol's Royal West of England Academy, featuring 18-month sun exposures and recycled solar panels fused with Neolithic imagery.Berlinale's Political Controversy: Wim Wenders' comments about artists staying out of politics spark major backlash, revealing deeper questions about cultural institutions' independence when funded by government and corporate sponsors. Key TakeawaysThe episode challenges listeners to reconsider what happens when efficiency becomes the enemy of authenticity. As Juergen notes in the newsletter, we're at a moment where baseline assumptions about creative work are shifting beneath our feet. The conversation explores whether predictable mediocrity might actually be the less frightening outcome of AI development, and whether genuine political independence is possible for publicly-funded cultural institutions. About The IntersectThe Intersect is a weekly newsletter and podcast exploring the convergence of art and technology. From analog processes to generative design, sound synthesis to interactive installations, we provide nuanced analysis that doesn't take sides. Our goal is to help creative professionals and technologists understand how technology shapes artistic practice and how creativity informs technological progress. Connect With UsSubscribe to The Intersect newsletter at theintersect.art for weekly insights into the evolving relationship between art and technology. Join our community of creators, technologists, and thinkers who are navigating this fascinating intersection.

    21 min
  8. Banned, Withdrawn, and Refused: The Art We Don't See Shapes Everything

    Jan 27

    Banned, Withdrawn, and Refused: The Art We Don't See Shapes Everything

    In this powerful episode of The Intersect, Chelsea and Georgia explore how the art we don't see—the banned, withdrawn, and refused—shapes our cultural narrative. From Amy Sherald's bold withdrawal of her entire exhibition to protect a single trans-affirming painting, to Comic-Con's dramatic 24-hour reversal on AI art policy, we examine the forces that determine what art reaches the public eye. 00:00:45 Exploring Banned Art and Its Impact00:02:43 The Intersection of Art and Technology00:06:31 Juergen’s Personal Journey00:10:25 The Techno-Sublime and Its Significance00:12:08 The Power of Human-Centric Design00:13:41 Amy Sherald’s Bold Statement00:14:38 Cultural Reflections from Greenland00:16:24 Future Predictions for Art Episode HighlightsAfrican Weaving Meets Technology: Discover how traditional African weaving reveals its inherent computational logic through projects like Nosukaay and Woven in Wa, showing that technology is finally catching up to craft, not the other way around.Amy Sherald's Stand: Learn why the acclaimed artist withdrew her entire "American Sublime" exhibition from the National Portrait Gallery rather than allow the removal of 'Trans Forming Liberty,' a powerful portrait reimagining the Statue of Liberty as a trans model.Comic-Con's AI Art Ban: Explore the rapid policy reversal at San Diego Comic-Con, where artist backlash led to a complete prohibition on AI art within 24 hours, reflecting broader industry tensions about creative authenticity.Juergen's Photography Evolution: Follow the personal journey from special effects photography in the 1980s to AI art today, illustrating how technological disruption repeatedly reshapes creative careers.Greenland's TikTok Resistance: Examine how young Greenlanders use satirical "fentanyl fold" videos to critique American cultural imperialism, turning our own imagery into powerful political commentary.Trevor Paglen's Techno Sublime: Understand how Paglen's two-decade project of photographing the invisible—from secret military bases to surveillance systems—reveals the blind spots in our technological age.The Human-Centric Design Myth: Unpack how "human-centered" design often masks extraction-focused systems, creating what Juergen calls "experience greenwashing."Hans Ulrich Obrist's 2026 Predictions: Consider the Serpentine Galleries director's vision for art's future, including AI as coordination tool, long-duration projects, and the surprising power of exhibitions that make strangers talk to each other. Key TakeawaysThis episode reveals how censorship and self-censorship shape not just what art we see, but how we understand our cultural moment. From institutional pressures on museums to artist-led resistance against AI replacement, the stories we explore show that the battle for creative autonomy is intensifying across all mediums. About The IntersectThe Intersect provides nuanced analysis of where art and technology converge, going far beyond AI hype to explore the full spectrum of computational tools shaping creative work. We're committed to showing the good, the bad, and the unexpected in these relationships. Connect With UsFor weekly insights and case studies on art and technology, subscribe to The Intersect newsletter at theintersect.art. Follow us on Instagram, Threads, BlueSky, and LinkedIn for ongoing exploration of creativity in the digital age.

    19 min
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Trailer

About

Curious about how technology and art collide, spark, and sometimes totally confuse each other? The Intersect of Tech and Art is your backstage pass to the wild, weird, and wonderful world where digital innovation meets creative expression. Created by Juergen Berkessel—a lifelong artist, technologist, and enthusiast for all things experimental—this podcast is for anyone who loves art, design, tech, or just a good story about the creative process. Whether you’re a digital artist, designer, tech enthusiast, or simply fascinated by how artificial intelligence, digital tools, and new technologies are shaking up the arts, you’ll find real-world insights and plenty of inspiration here. Each week, The Intersect dives into everything from digital art and AI in art to creative technology, design trends, and the latest breakthroughs in art technology. Expect lively features about artists and innovators, hands-on explorations of AI creativity, algorithmic art, and musings on how blockchain, augmented reality, and digital culture are transforming the art community. Episodes are packed with honest conversations, practical examples, and a healthy dose of friendly curiosity—plus a few laughs along the way. What sets The Intersect apart? It’s guided by Juergen’s unique perspective as someone who’s been both a practicing artist and a digital strategist since the days when floppy disks were still cool. The show was born out of the same curiosity and tension that drives the art-tech world: how do we balance human creativity with the possibilities (and pitfalls) of technology? That’s what keeps our community of artists, technologists, and innovators coming back—and keeps our newsletter subscriber numbers growing strong (with almost nobody unsubscribing, which is practically a miracle). Episodes run 20–30 minutes and drop weekly, making The Intersect a perfect listen for your coffee break, commute, or creative session. You’ll hear a mix of in-depth interviews, solo commentary, and the occasional panel-style discussion—always with a light, friendly tone that makes even the most complex tech trends feel accessible. A little transparency: this podcast is produced with the help of AI voice technology and synthetic voice tools. Why? Because frankly, the only way to bring this carefully researched, lovingly curated content from the newsletter to your ears each week is by experimenting with the very tools we talk about. Every episode is crafted, written, and reviewed by Juergen and a human team—AI is just our sidekick, not the boss. We see this as part of the ongoing conversation (and sometimes the tension) at the heart of art and tech today. Ready to join the fun, learn something new, and be part of a growing community at the intersect of art, design, and technology? Subscribe now to The Intersect of Tech and Art and don’t miss a single episode. For all the latest and to explore the full archive, visit theintersect.art.

Information

  • Creator
    Juergen Berkessel
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Juergen Berkessel
  • Show Website
    The Intersect of Tech and Art