Entangled Matter: AI, Humans and Golems
installation, 2023
In Jewish folklore, a golem is a creature arisen from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud) and brought to life by ritual incantations and sequences of Hebrew letters. The Golem, brought into being by a human creator, first becomes a helper, a companion, or a rescuer but later runs amok and becomes a threat to its creator. What degree of autonomy creates a "living" being? How can we program matter? How can matter program us? Can Golems reclaim their voice? Is the capability of interpreting reality a sign of consciousness, of identity? What does 'interpretation' means for different agents?
As prompts quickly become the primary interface for interacting with AI models, the piece attempts to create a reflexive digital analog workflow about prompt interpretation. Entangled Matter: AI, Humans and Golems is, therefore, an installation in which analog-manual sculpting and virtual worlds become part of a ritualistic feedback loop where Artificial Intelligence, Human Artistic interpretation, and the rudimentary but evolving speech of Virtual Golem-Agents become entangled. In this piece, different technologies bridging both realms (AI 3D generation, 3D rendering, handmade sculpting, text-to-image models, photogrammetry, generative language and generative sound) are used to subvert the Golem's traditional narrative in which human written text and symbols control matter, often leading to the obliteration of a fragile emergent subjectivity.
Exhibited at Festival Zer01 in La Rochelle, France,
Entangled Matter: AI, Humans and Golems is a collaboration between Mario Guzman, Julia Koffler and Jeremy Couillard.
Credits:
Concept and implementation: Mario Guzman
Sound concept and implementation: Julia Koffler
Unreal Engine programming: Jeremy Couillard