Armidale’s Skeptics In The Pub resumes for 2026 on Wednesday February 11 with a presentation guaranteed to challenge the thinking of all local painters, writers, designers, composers, performers, researchers, their teachers and tutors.
The New England Regional Art Museum’s highly respected Director, Rachael Parsons, will deliver a penetrating appraisal of how the coming of Artificial Intelligence has created pessimism and anxiety amongst creative people.
Artists have legitimate fears about loss of their power, authorship and originality. However, Parsons points to history as a sign for optimism.
“We need to be very skeptical about predicting the Death of Art,” she said.
Rachael will demonstrate how, from the invention of the camera to the rise of artificial intelligence, each major technological shift has been met with the same familiar panic: This will be the death of art!
She will take a skeptical look at that claim to show how, throughout history, artists have repeatedly risen to the challenges of invasive technology by absorbing, resisting and repurposing the new technologies, rather than being replaced by them.
Rachael’s presentation, titled Invasive Technology and the Death of Art… Again, begins on February 11 at 7pm at the Welder’s Dog Brewery, 101 Beardy Steet.
Doors open at 5.30pm for orders of drinks and gourmet pizza.
The event is free, open to everyone and there is no need to book.
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