American Artist Reimagines Rocket Science Origins Using Octavia Butler’s Futuristic Lens through the LACMA Art + Technology Lab

American Artist: Earthseed is the second in a three-part film series from Hyundai Artlab spotlighting the Art + Technology Lab at LACMA—a pioneering program revitalized through Hyundai Motor and LACMA’s partnership since 2015. The series highlights the Lab’s commitment to fostering bold, cross-disciplinary projects that challenge conventional boundaries in art and technology. 

In this short film, American Artist brings a multi-year collaboration with the Lab into focus providing an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Monophobic Response, a two-channel film and sculptural installation inspired by Octavia E. Butler’s speculative narratives. 

This film takes a closer look at how American Artist’s creative process incorporates historical events and imaginative storytelling to interrogate modern societal structures. Reimagining a 1936 rocket engine test through Octavia E. Butler’s lens, American Artist transforms archival material into a critique of societal and technological dynamics. Together the film and the work challenge perceptions of progress and underscores the role of inclusive storytelling in shaping our understanding of the future.

Watch the full film on Hyundai Artlab