PLEASE FORGET (EVERYTHING) Opening Reception

Heron Arts was founded in 2013 by Mark Slee, an active member of San Francisco's creative community, organizing events since the mid-2000s. Prior to Heron Arts, Slee was a member of Facebook's product design and development team. He is joined in 2015 by directors Noah Antieau and Tova Lobatz, who are pursuing ambitious programming that will encompass installations and experiential interactive environments, alongside traditional gallery exhibitions.

Heron Arts

Join us to celebrate the opening of Charles Lindsay's solo exhibition at Heron Arts!

(AI) PLEASE FORGET (EVERYTHING) Programs

This collection of in-person events add to Charles Lindsay's high-concept solo exhibition presented at Heron Arts.

PLEASE FORGET (EVERYTHING) features two strikingly bright yellow Japanese parking kiosks, each situated in its own Zen garden—one in Kyoto and the other in San Francisco. These modified devices, ubiquitous in Japan, are imagined as intelligent nodes within a vast global AI network, much like mushrooms sprouting from intricate underground mycelial webs. Each kiosk becomes a speculative symbol of sentient AI—networked, pranking and/or elevating humanity. Numerous other artworks in the exhibition expand upon these ideas.The concept for this exhibition began with Charles Lindsay's proposal to NASA suggesting the use of retired Mars Rovers to create Zen gardens on Mars. That idea evolved further when Charles posed his question about AI and consciousness to the renowned Zen Buddhist monk, Toryo Ito, at the onset of the pandemic. Captivated by the inquiry, Toryo invited Charles to exhibit at Ryōsoku-in Zen Temple in Kyoto.Drawing on the Zen Buddhist principle of ‘Beginner’s Mind,’ advocating for a process of forgetting (and forgiving) to facilitate rapid transformation, Lindsay presents his new installations and assemblages as koans: those infamously paradoxical Zen Buddhist riddles designed to circumvent logical reasoning—in preparation for sudden enlightenment.&nbsp;Alongside his sculptural techniques, Lindsay integrates a wide range of tools and materials to produce poetic video and creative works that further explore his thematic concepts. Utilizing OpenAI tools including Sora, a text-to-video model that is currently in research, Voice Engine, and a custom GPT, he creates AI-driven works that challenge viewers' perceptions, urging them to explore the deeper mysteries presented. These works, much like the accompanying koans, are designed to inspire contemplation and open new avenues of understanding. Artist BioCharles Lindsay (b. 1961, San Francisco) is an intermedia and multidisciplinary artist whose work synthesizes ideas about time, technology, ecosystems, and semiotics. His creations include immersive environments, evocative soundscapes, and dynamic visual art, often constructed from salvaged aerospace and biotech materials, resulting in thought-provoking sculptures. A Guggenheim Fellow, founder of SETI AIR—the SETI Institute’s Artists in Residence Program—and a New York Times bestselling author, Lindsay is recognized for pushing the boundaries of scientific and artistic expression. Currently residing in Kyoto, Japan, he is immersed in consciousness research, exploring the frontiers of AI, its implications for the future of humanity, and developing a new language at the intersection of art and technology.

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PLEASE FORGET (EVERYTHING) Opening Reception

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PLEASE FORGET (EVERYTHING) Opening Reception

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