Gary Silipa

Gary Silipa is a contemporary artist of Sāmoan heritage, born in New Zealand. His multidisciplinary practice spans art making, curating, education and facilitation. Rooted in the raw energy of graffiti culture, Gary’s art seamlessly shifts between the streets and more formal indoor environments. He is a passionate advocate for community arts, emphasizing its role in enhancing well-being and fostering connection.

“I remember as a kid, watching Terminator 2: Judgment Day and seeing the scene where John Connor is dreaming and witnesses a nuclear bomb drop right in front of him, destroying everything in sight — it scared the crap out of me.”

In the movie, Skynet — a U.S. Defense Force system — is an artificial neural network-based conscious group mind and artificial general superintelligence system. It reaches singularity and gains self-awareness. When humans attempt to deactivate it, Skynet retaliates with a countervalue nuclear attack.

As artificial intelligence develops exponentially without regulation, a scenario like Skynet, where technological singularity is reached, is not such a far-fetched idea. With the rise of machines and their influence and control over our lives, the collective human spirit must rise higher to meet the challenges we face now and in the future.