2035

About the Project

2035 is a collaborative, community-based video artwork created by artist Paul Byrne in collaboration with the Nifty Fifty group at Bagenalstown Family Resource Centre. The project explores the intersection of human creativity and machine learning, using emerging AI tools as a means of visual storytelling.

Over the course of several weeks in spring 2025, Byrne facilitated a series of workshops and creative sessions with the Nifty Fifty group—an active and engaged community of older adults—cantered around the theme of Peace and Serenity. Together, they generated imagery, narratives and concepts which were then developed into a cohesive moving image work using AI generative technology.

The final piece, titled 2035, imagines a tranquil and hopeful vision of the near future, shaped by the group’s reflections on memory, nature, calm and the desire for connection in an increasingly fast-moving world.

Process & Participation

Rather than simply showcasing new technology, 2035 places a strong emphasis on collaboration, accessibility and creative authorship. Participants were invited not only to engage with AI tools but to help shape the direction and mood of the final piece.

Workshops included:

• Storyboarding visual ideas

• Learning about generative AI and how it works

• Producing text prompts for image generation

• Discussing how art can convey emotion, mood, and intention

The project offered a platform for the Nifty Fifty group to engage with cutting-edge tools in an inclusive, empowering environment. It challenged assumptions about who creates digital art—and demonstrated that curiosity and imagination are not bound by age or technical background.

A Public Artwork for a Shared Space

The decision to present 2035 in the windows of Old Nolan’s Pharmacy—a once-bustling corner shop now lying dormant—adds a layer of resonance. By bringing new digital life to a familiar space, the work invites passersby to pause, reflect and experience art as part of the everyday rhythm of the town.

The public nature of the installation reflects the shared values of Creative Places Bagenalstown, Bagenalstown Family Resource Centre and the Bagenalstown in Bloom Festival: celebrating community, visibility and shared creativity in both traditional and unexpected places.

Why 2035?

The title suggests a point in the near future—a marker of time just beyond reach, shaped by present hopes and imaginings. It is a meditation on what we carry forward, what we leave behind, and what kind of world we want to inhabit.

In a world increasingly defined by noise and speed, 2035 offers a moment of pause.

2035 is commissioned by Creative Places Bagenalstown, delivered in partnership with Bagenalstown Family Resource Centre and presented in association with Bagenalstown in Bloom Festival.