Generative graphics and system development   ·   Awards: Ars Electronica Honorary Mention 2023, Reumert Special Award 2023   ·   Direction: Mikael Fock   ·   Partners: Mikael Fock (script) , Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm (ai) , Yann Coppier (sound design) , Thorbjørn Bach Larsen (lighting 2021) , Vertigo (lighting 2022+) , Luise Skov (actor 2023) , Emilie Rasmussen (actor 2021-2022) , Anne Laybourn (actor 2020) , Mathias Raabye Ravn (additional script) , Nicolai von Rosen (stage tech) , Nilas Bjørn Larsen (stage tech) , Sofi Orem Skoglund (direction assistent)   ·   Producer: The Culture Yard

Girl meets AI.

Shadow is a story by the famous Danish fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen in which a “clever scholar” asks his own shadow to enter the “chamber of poetry”, a place he does not dare to enter himself. After performing this service for the scholar, it returns as an all knowling entity, only to gradually take over his life, and eventually end it.

The play is loosely inspired by this story, making a parallel to our relationship with artificial intelligence (AI), and how it gradually takes over agency in our lives. The project also aims to educate the public about AI, and the ongoing data harvesting that we are all part of.

Some of the acts involve state-of-the-art dialog generating AI (GPT3/J, 2021), that engages in live improvised conversation with the audience and with the actor. The play is performed in the 4D Box, a theatre stage capable of creating mixed-reality illusions of virtual 3D objects interacting with live performers. The AI character is represented as a shape-shifting neural network, that gradually takes control of the scenography.

This behind-the-scenes video gives a pretty conprehensive overview of what the production is about and whats next (2023).