Martinus Suijkerbuijk, featuring Øystein Fjeldbo
Meta.Morf 2024 – [up]Loaded Bodies /
Kjøpmannsgata Ung Kunst, April 18 – August 18 / V2_, September 19 – October 13 /
Curators: Zane Cerpina, Boris Debackere, Espen Gangvik, Florian Weigl.
Turing Gaia: Entering Thermodome (2024)
The Turing Gaia artistic research project is presented in three chapters during Meta.Morf Biennale 2024. “Turing Gaia: Entering Thermodome” unfolds during the whole exhibition period and acts as the foundational model of the successive performance: “Composing the ((Non)Human)” and the VR installation “Markov’s Umwelt.”
“Turing Gaia: Entering Thermodome” emerges as a creative amalgamation of technology, art, and virtual ecology, a speculative Zero-Player Game, that offers a grounded yet imaginative perspective on a world actively confronting the impacts of climate change. It manifests as a digital environment where an AI-driven Non-Playable Character (NPC), named Markov-NPC, endeavors to make sense of a rapidly changing and heat-dominated ecosystem.
Markov-NPC, crafted as an advanced cognitive architecture, is not just an occupant of this evolving world but an active participant. Its behavior, influenced by varying environmental heat levels, provides insights into the diverse strategies life might employ to endure the challenges posed by a shifting climate. This narrative, a testament to survival and adaptability, illustrates the innate resilience of life. In this virtual setting, Markov-NPC and the ecosystem interact in a dynamic exchange, adapting to new climatic realities amidst the backdrop of extreme weather events that evoke a sense of the Sublime.
The narrative of “Turing Gaia” is a fluid, evolving cycle, showcasing the interplay between artificial intelligence, human experience, and virtual ecology. This synergy offers a unique view into a world experimenting with new forms of existence.
A key feature of this project is its emphasis on ‘heat’ as a central aesthetic parameter. This is not merely a visual aspect but an experiential one for Markov. The environment, alive with heat-induced phenomena like mirages and heatwaves, is depicted in a vibrant spectrum of colors, signifying temperature changes. This interactive interpretation of heat brings the virtual environment to life.
The visual landscape of “Turing Gaia” is a blend of diverse futuristic visions—space colonization, solarpunk, thermofuturism—styled through generative AI technologies and meticulously designed in 3D. The world is in constant flux, driven by procedural algorithms that ensure a unique experience for each visitor, a journey through a world that is perpetually reinventing itself.
Enhancing this visual journey is an AI-generated soundscape, intricately woven to enhance the narrative. Composed of digitally crafted natural sounds, it forms a symphony that reflects the altered reality of our environment. Within this soundscape, a meta-narrator, powered by advanced Language Models like GPT-4 and PALM 2, offers first-person reflections on Markov’s computational experiences. This narrative layer bridges individual struggles with broader contemplations of global climate dynamics, creating a story that echoes the virtual experience and mirrors our own world’s evolving story.
Norwegian sound artist Øystein Fjeldbo collaborates on this project, shaping the AI-generated sound material and integrating data from both Markov and the virtual ecology into the generative soundscape.
“Turing Gaia I” is a cultural and existential exploration into thermofuturism—a cultural concept that acknowledges the complexity of entropy at the heart of all exchanges, not only in environmental dynamics in the earth’s atmosphere, but also in our cultural, economic and political systems.
The project “Turing Gaia: Entering Thermodome” stretches the capabilities of AI to their creative zenith, threading a narrative of ecosystems, plant and animal life, and abstract vistas that represent a world grappling with the realities of climate change. More than just a display of potential future scenarios, this installation is an interactive exploration that prompts visitors to ponder our current trajectory. It functions as an illustrative canvas, vividly portraying the journey of a computational entity as it navigates the complexities of an evolving world. In this way, the project not only showcases what might be but also actively engages with the present, encouraging a deeper understanding and consideration of the paths we choose.
Supported by BEK – Bergen senter for elektronisk kunst.
Martinus Suijkerbuijk’s (NL/NO) diverse background forms the blueprint of his artistic practice. He holds a degree in Automation Engineering and Industrial Design. In 2017, he graduated from the International MFA program at the Trondheim Academy of Fine Arts, where he is also currently a PhD candidate. His work is best understood as an experimental practice that connects, translates, and operates across the borders of different media, artistic genres, and disciplines. Within his practice, he explores the fringes of art, technology, and philosophy through the potential of alliances and collaborations. His technical background has enabled him to work across industries. He has been invited to present his research and work at art institutions (ZKM, Sónar+D Barcelona, Meta.Morf 2020) as well as technology conferences (CHI 2018, Philips Trend Event). Presently, his artistic research centers around the possibilities of Artificial Aesthetic Agents through AI technologies and gaming engines.
Øystein Fjeldbo (NO) is a Trondheim-based sound artist. He holds a master’s degree in music technology from NTNU (2017). His work primarily aims to shape android auditory expressions. On one hand, he transforms synthetic starting points into something more organic, while on the other hand, he utilizes “organic” sound materials, such as field recordings and acoustic instruments, abstracting them into something more synthetic-sounding.
With the group Future Daughter, he has released music on labels like Orange Milk Records, #FEELINGS, and Kropp Uten Grenser. His projects and collaborations, both in music and installation, have been presented at institutions such as Landmark and BIT Teatergarasjen Bergen, Høstscena Ålesund, Trøndelag Centre for Contemporary Art, Sónar+D Barcelona, and ArtScience Museum Singapore.
Header graphics: “Turing Gaia: Entering Thermodome” / Video-still courtesy of the artists.