Aszure Barton’s AI-inspired ballet Mere Mortals comes to Edinburgh
The ballet reimagines the myth of Pandora’s box as a cautionary tale about artificial intelligence.
Aszure Barton’s ballet Mere Mortals is set to receive its European premiere at this year’s Edinburgh international festival.
The production, which opened in San Francisco in 2024, reimagines the myth of Pandora’s box as a cautionary tale about artificial intelligence. Electronic musician Floating Points performs live, while digital art duo Hamill Industries designed visuals for giant LED screens.
Barton said the work was created through collaboration among musicians, visual artists and San Francisco Ballet dancers.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What assumptions about artificial intelligence does the ballet leave unexamined?
How might presenting AI through the Pandora myth shape audiences’ views of responsibility and risk?
What perspectives were absent from the production’s collaborative process?
How could the ballet’s interpretation change if AI were portrayed as a source of benefits rather than primarily as a cautionary force?
YOUR QUESTION
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · AUGUST 2026