Techart Conference
Artificial Nature as a Shared Reality
Haru Ji (OCAD University, Canada)
■ Abstract
Humans have always looked to nature for inspiration. As artists, we have done so in creating a family of “Artificial Natures”. They are interactive art installations surrounding humans with biologically-inspired complex systems. These installations often involve immersive and interactive mixed reality environments, presenting dynamic data as masses of information. The goal is to construct an artificial ecology, where humans and non-human entities blend together as integral parts of a unified system.
In this presentation, I will introduce the Artificial Nature project and showcase several of its artworks. These examples aim to illustrate the principle of endogenous visualization and its flat ontological stance, which aligns with the philosophical perspective of Speculative Realism. Additionally, I will discuss how this process has brought forth concerns regarding mainstream data-driven AI and prompted us to explore alternative approaches rooted in computational creativity. Through our creative endeavors, we aim to challenge the notion of humans as the center of the world and deepen our comprehension of computational media and our place within the natural world.
The talk will proceed by elucidating the concept of artificial natures, delving into the process behind their creation, exploring the idea of shared reality and how it defines our collective identity, and finally discussing the insights gained from our pursuits. I strongly believe that our project serves as a reflective realization, amid the Anthropocene era and the paradigm shifts necessitated by urgent global challenges such as biodiversity loss, climate change crises, and the pervasive influence of data-driven AI in a mediated world.
■ Bio
Haru Hyunkyung JI is a media artist and co-creator of the research project “Artificial Nature”. Since 2007, Artificial Nature installations have shown at international venues including La Gaite Lyrique (Paris), ZKM (Karlsruhe), Microwave (Hong Kong), SIGGRAPH (Yokohama, Hong Kong, Vancouver), ISEA (Singapore, Gwangju), and EvoWorkshops (Tubingen). She has been recognized for her contributions to the field, including the international 2015 VIDA 16.0 Art & Artificial Life competition and the 2017 Kaleidoscope Virtual Reality showcase. She holds a Ph.D. in Media Arts and Technology from UCSB and currently serves as an Associate Professor at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada.
Artificial Nature is an installation series and research project by Haru JI and Graham WAKEFIELD, creating a family of interactive art installations surrounding humans with biologically-inspired complex systems experienced in immersive mixed reality.
