Domy Reverie | Interactive Installation Co-created with AIs

Artwork Description:

“Domy Reverie” is an immersive art installation that merges the realms of reality and artificial intelligence to initiate a dialogue on the environmental impacts of human activity and the potential futures they may herald. Drawing inspiration from the profound changes observed through Google Earth’s time-lapse feature and Buckminster Fuller’s speculative design “Cloud Nine,” this project reflects on the interplay between human development and the natural world. Central to the installation are two orbiting spherical domes set above an interactive landscape—one depicting the world through satellite imagery and the other through AI-generated visions. This juxtaposition invites viewers to ponder the delicate balance between ecological preservation and decay. Additionally, an interactive floor projection allows viewers to engage directly with the installation, co-imagining with the AI agent in real time to alter a synthetic realm and deepen the immersive experience. By blending art, technology, and environmental awareness, “Domy Reverie” aims to foster reflection on our shared responsibility towards the planet, underscoring the interconnectedness of realities and the importance of collective choices in shaping our world’s future.

Motivation:

The inspiration for Domy Reverie (2023) stems from my exploration of Google Earth's time-lapse function, which documents the environmental changes spanning 38 years. As I delved into this function, I discovered a vast archive of pre-recorded time-lapse videos depicting various sites and highlighting the human impact on landscapes. As an artist deeply engaged with environmental issues, these videos initially left a profound impression on me, emphasizing human intrusion and the detrimental effects such as climate change, sea level rise, and deforestation.

However, I gradually realized that I was only seeing a partial history and that my perspective was biased, particularly when I viewed the urbanization videos of Cheng Du and contemplated the evolution of my own country. I came to understand that I couldn't simply label these changes resulting from human actions as entirely wrong or damaging to the environment. Every creature on Earth seeks its own path to prosperity and a better life, and as humans, with our intelligence and evolutionary advantages, we are no exception.

This realization motivated me to ponder an alternative world—how it might unfold, how the environment would transform over time, and how we could discern whether these changes are positive or negative. The environmental changes caused by human impacts are complex, comprising both positive and negative aspects. The world is not a simplistic dichotomy of utopia and dystopia, and our understanding of it is inherently limited.

This contemplation also connects with my earlier AI art project, "City in a Jar" (also known as 'Future in a Jar'), which explores how environmental issues may shape people's lives in the future. The project employs the characteristics of artificial intelligence, drawing from a vast database of human creativity, to envision a future that eludes precise prediction. Is it dystopian or utopian? That question lies at the heart of the project's inquiry into the future.

This recognition of uncertainty and multifaceted perspectives led me to contemplate the concept of a dome, often regarded as a symbol of utopia. However, in my view, the dome is also a reflection of dystopia. One influential example of dome architecture is Buckminster Fuller's Cloud Structures.

Building upon these ideas and drawing from the microcosm-macrocosm concept present in the jar and dome, I collaborated with AI to reimagine "cloud structures" and developed the notion of three layers of reality within Domy Reverie.

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Overall, my artwork aims to explore the interconnectedness of realities, the tension between preservation and decay, and our role within this cosmic dance. By intersecting art, technology, and environmental consciousness, Domy Reverie (2023) invites viewers to reflect upon our collective responsibility towards our shared home and the uncertain paths that lie before us.

Exhibition and Presentation:

Exhibited at The Future of Reality, ACM SIGGRAPH Digital Art Community, SIGGRAPH 2024 (Denver, US) & Online.

Presented as a Research Presentation at EVA London 2024

Presented as an Artwork Presentation at New Media Caucus Showcase (CAA Annual Conference)

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