Learning to See: Interactive (2017)

This project is part of the Learning to See series.

Learning to See is a series of works that use machine learning algorithms to reflect on how our own cognitive biases shape how we ‘see’ and make sense of the world.

The series includes a number of videos, as well as an interactive installation in which custom neural networks analyse a live camera feed pointing at a table covered in everyday objects, and attempt to reconstruct it in real time, drawing on their prior experience (i.e. training data) and knowledge (i.e. what is learned during training).

An artificial neural network looks out onto the world, and tries to make sense of what it is seeing. But it can only see through the filter of what it already knows.

Just like us.

Because we too, see things not as they are, but as we are.

The work is part of a broader line of inquiry about our cognitive biases, our inability to see the world from others’ point of view, and the resulting social and political polarization.

Learning to See (Interactive) installation view at Creative Machines, Taikang Art Museum, Beijing, China, 2024.
Learning to See (Interactive) installation view at Creative Machines, Taikang Art Museum, Beijing, China, 2024.

This work is an interactive installation in which a number of neural networks analyse a live camera feed pointing at a table covered in everyday objects.

Through a very tactile, hands-on experience, the audience can manipulate the objects on the table with their hands, and see corresponding scenery emerging on the display, in realtime, reinterpreted by the neural networks.

Every 30 seconds the scene changes between five different custom models trained on custom datasets representing the platonic natural elements: ocean & waves (representing water), clouds & sky (representing air), fire, flowers (representing earth, and life) and images from the Hubble Space telescope (representing aether, the cosmos, the home of God).

The interaction can be a very short, quick, playful experience. Or the audience can spend hours meticulously crafting their perfect nebula, or shaping their favourite waves, or arranging a beautiful bouquet.

Series

More works in the Learning to See series.

Selected Exhibitions, Performances & Presentations(2 / 2)

Only selected shows with project pages are listed below. For more complete exhibition and performance history please see Show History.

Words(4 / 4)

The artist’s own writing about this work.

Press(54 / 54)

Articles, reviews and other press relating to this work.

Interviews(4 / 4)

Features(6 / 6)

Books(11 / 11)

Other Coverage(9 / 9)

News(6 / 6)

Academic Papers(18 / 18)

Collections(1 / 1)

Show History(16 / 16)

Group Exhibitions(16 / 16)

Details

Medium
Interactive installation. Custom software.
Materials
Custom software, PC, camera, projection, cables, cloth, wires.
Technique
Custom software, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Generative Adversarial Networks.
Editions
3+2AP
Collections
M+ Museum of Art