wetware – Artificial Intelligence https://ars.electronica.art/ai/en Ars Electronica Festival 2017 Tue, 28 Jun 2022 13:43:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.6 MetabolA.I. https://ars.electronica.art/ai/en/metabolai/ Tue, 08 Aug 2017 10:51:11 +0000 https://ars.electronica.art/ai/?p=3477

Ippolit Markelov (RU), artist group “18 apples” (RU)

This work illustrates a future scenario in which an artificial intelligence creates new life forms and controls its development. This project is a techno-biological installation consisting of hardware, software and wetware. The hardware is a DIY bio printer, which can print with bacteria on an agar dish. The software is an artificial neural network (ANN).

This algorithm has properties of the human mind such as creativity and learning. Our ANN was trained to generate new images of life forms based on the diversity of those already existing in nature. The wetware is basically living ink, a fluorescent chimerical E. coli bacteria.

By connecting an ANN and the bio printer, we allowed the AI to define the initial form which is the starting point from which life will evolve. At the same time, living matter also participates in development of the pre-defined AI life forms. This system of biofeedback is implemented through the co-evolutionary processes between living and nonliving agents.

Credits

Artist group “18 apples”
Art direction, concept, hardware: Ippolit Markelov
Concept, wetware: Lucy Ojomoko
Software: Rodion Kadyrov

Collaborators: Petr Smirnov (programming), Andrew Pakosh (programming AI), Anna Kortyukova (camera, LD, video editing), Vasiliy Sumin (camera, sound), Helena Nikonole (sound design), Daniil Primak (photo, sound), Violet Postnova (graphic design, animation)

Bioprinter design by vosq.design

With support from the VenchurClub

This project has been prepared for 4th Ural Industrial Biennial of Contemporary Art with support from the Ural branch of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA), Russia.

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