Unit 3
Context
--- ‘‘ Reviving Tradition Through Digital Symbolism: Inspirations from Judy Chicago’s Feminist Iconography ’’ --- When I visited the "Judy Chicago: Revelations" exhibition, I felt deeply inspired. Chicago's reinterpretation of traditional cultural symbols, infused with her feminist perspective, made me reflect on my own creative direction and the symbolism within my work. Her work is not merely a visual display; it’s a powerful call to revive the voices of women often overlooked in history. This realization led me to see that by merging Taoist fortune sticks and Western tarot symbols, I am similarly attempting to infuse these traditional symbols with new life and contemporary significance through digital media.
I was particularly struck by how Chicago uses multiple layers of symbolism to express her emotions and viewpoints. The colors, materials, and forms she adopts are all meticulously chosen to convey her strong stance on feminism and social issues. Her use of bright colors—such as vibrant reds, purples, and golds—not only provides visual impact but also symbolizes power, mystery, and a spirit of resistance. This taught me that color is more than a decorative choice; it is a tool for emotional expression, allowing viewers to feel the spiritual strength within the work.
Inspired by this approach, I’ve carefully considered the use of color in my own work to evoke both emotional resonance and symbolic meaning. For each of the four AI herbal deities representing earth, water, fire, and air, I’ve incorporated distinct color palettes that embody their elemental qualities. For example, earthy tones of greens and browns represent the grounding, nurturing qualities of the Earth deity, while the Water deity is depicted with cool blues and silvers, symbolizing flow, clarity, and emotional depth. The Fire deity is imbued with warm reds and golds, conveying energy, transformation, and passion, while the Air deity is presented in soft whites and pale blues, representing freedom, wisdom, and lightness. By using these colors thoughtfully, I aim to create a sensory experience that helps viewers connect with the spiritual essence of each element.
Chicago’s choice of materials is also crucial in her work. She frequently uses materials associated with “women’s crafts,” such as textiles, ceramics, and glass—materials traditionally considered “low” art in the broader art world. Through these materials, Chicago challenges gender biases, elevating these “women’s crafts” to a sacred and elevated status. Inspired by her approach, I also strive to use symbolic materials in my work to convey deep cultural meanings. For example, I use eco-printed fabrics as projection surfaces in my installations. This natural material not only symbolizes a connection with nature but also enhances the organic feel of the work, blending the projected images with the fabric’s texture to create a more immersive experience. Additionally, I chose materials such as lightweight clay, crystals, and metallic embellishments to construct the random card-dispensing machine. These materials provide a warm, handmade quality while also representing the intersection of tradition and technology.
Chicago’s use of text and symbols helped me understand how language and symbols can carry both history and emotion. In her work, she integrates the names and stories of overlooked women, making her pieces not just visual objects but commemorative, historical artifacts. Inspired by this, I incorporate text and code poetry in my work to convey messages, allowing viewers to extract deeper meanings as they interact with the AI. My work combines “code poetry” and “emoji spells”—modern digital languages designed as concise means of expression to help viewers quickly grasp the core meaning of symbols. Through these digitalized text symbols, I aim to create a contemporary “ritual” in the digital environment, guiding viewers to understand and experience traditional cultural symbols in new ways.
Throughout my creative process, I often think back to the ideals of equality and inclusiveness expressed in her exhibition. Her multidisciplinary approach encouraged me to explore emoji spells and code poetry as a modern symbolic system, allowing viewers to quickly capture the essential symbolism of my work. Chicago taught me that symbols can transcend cultural and historical boundaries, becoming a universal form of expression through reconstruction and reinterpretation.
Chicago’s work reminded me that art can convey deep social concerns and emotions through layered symbolism. In my work, I aim to digitally reconstruct symbols, merging the traditional with the modern to create a new cultural experience. This experience respects the roots of tradition while enabling viewers to connect on a deeper level in brief interactions. Chicago has shown me the significance of conveying and expanding the spirit of traditional cultural symbols within modern media, allowing them to continue “speaking” in a new context, which holds profound meaning.
--- Interactive AI and Art: Insights from Botto’s p5.botto Exhibition and Its Influence on Synthetic Prophecy--- After visiting the “p5.botto” exhibition, I felt deeply inspired by how AI can be integrated into interactive art through creative coding. Botto’s use of p5.js to generate generative sketches and refine them based on audience feedback and voting highlighted the potential of AI not only as a tool but as a collaborative partner in the artistic process. This exhibition demonstrated how AI can transcend traditional boundaries, inviting viewers to become part of the artwork’s evolution, thereby democratizing art-making.
Drawing on this inspiration, I incorporated similar concepts into my project, “Synthetic Prophecy.” By utilizing AI-generated visuals and interactive dialogue, “Synthetic Prophecy” explores themes of the uncanny valley, AI consciousness, and spiritual engagement. Inspired by Botto’s model of community interaction, I designed an interactive experience that allows the audience to directly engage in dialogue with the AI characters from the film. This interaction gives viewers a unique role, transforming them from passive observers into active participants.
The Botto exhibition showed me the importance of audience engagement in creating meaningful AI-driven experiences, prompting me to explore how audience feedback and interaction could enrich the storytelling and spiritual themes within “Synthetic Prophecy.” Through these interactions, the AI characters in my project reflect a blend of digital autonomy and human influence.
--- Bridging Worlds: Exploring the Balance Between Technology and Nature in Art---
Throughout my studies from Unit 1 to Unit 3, I have been continually exploring the relationship between technology and nature, and several encounters with nature have deepened my understanding of this dynamic. Hiking in the Lake District in the UK and foraging for mushrooms in the Norwegian forests allowed me to reconnect with the purity and tranquility of nature. In Norway, I was fortunate enough to witness the aurora borealis—a massive natural light show, as if nature itself was projecting its own imagery. This experience left me in awe, yet it also made me feel a subtle contradiction: a tension between the spontaneous beauty of nature and the artificial experiences that technology can create.
These experiences prompted me to reflect on how I might find a balance between the digital and the organic in my work. Like many, I often seek refuge in nature to escape the pressures of an increasingly digital and urbanized world. Nature provides a grounding force, reminding me of simplicity and presence—qualities that are often lost in our highly interconnected lives. However, I am also captivated by the potential of technology to create immersive experiences, to alter our perceptions, and to bring new dimensions to art.
The aurora experience in particular made me question where technology can enhance our connection to nature and where it might disrupt it. I am fascinated by the idea of using digital tools to recreate the healing and mystical qualities of nature, but I am also cautious about technology overpowering nature’s raw essence. This tension often surfaces in my creative practice, as I strive to find a balance between the organic and the synthetic, inviting viewers to experience both the serenity of natural elements and the possibilities offered by digital innovation.
In many ways, my work aims to bridge these two worlds, creating a harmonious dialogue between technology and nature. Just as these journeys have reminded me of the importance of returning to nature—to reconnect, to heal, and to ground myself in aspects of existence that technology can never replicate—I sense this ongoing contradiction. It is the allure of the digital and the restorative power of the natural world that both challenge and inspire me, driving me to find ways in my work to honor both.
--- Bridging Worlds: Exploring the Balance Between Technology and Nature in Art--- Although I haven’t experienced drawing medicinal fortune sticks, I had the opportunity to participate in the traditional activity of “counting the Arhats” during a visit to a temple back home over the holidays. This practice, common in many Chinese temples, involves temples that house five hundred Arhat statues, each with unique expressions, postures, and details. According to folklore, visitors can choose an Arhat, remember its number, and gain a personal insight from the final count—a kind of symbolic guidance or fate’s answer.
In the process of counting the Arhats, people often walk silently, observing and counting each statue in a tranquil atmosphere, interacting with the Arhats on a personal level. This process carries a deep sense of ritual, encouraging a state of inner calm and focus, offering a moment of introspection and connection beyond everyday distractions. Through this traditional experience, I came to understand how symbols in rituals can guide people toward inner reflection.
This experience had a profound impact on me while creating Nova Arcane Oracle. During the Arhat counting, each statue’s unique characteristics and number provided a specific type of symbolic guidance, which is precisely what I aim to evoke in my work. I want viewers, when interacting with the herbal AI spirits, to experience something akin to the internal guidance and reflective space offered by counting Arhats. Just as the Arhats’ symbolism leads people toward self-discovery, I hope my work, through symbolic design and the unique qualities of each spirit, can similarly offer viewers an experience that goes beyond surface entertainment, encouraging them to find subtle insights in the interaction.
This experience solidified my commitment to embedding traditional ritual depth into Nova Arcane Oracle, allowing the herbal AI spirits to act as “guides” in a tranquil and introspective interactive space. This approach not only enriches the symbolic meaning of the work but also adds layers to the design of digital rituals, offering viewers a sense of mystery and depth that mirrors the profound impact of traditional rituals, even in a brief encounter.