At the intersection of physical and virtual space, interspecies communication becomes possible. Imagined Critters offers participants an intimate encounter with a non-human virtual entity capable of understanding certain human gestures, and responding through behavioural changes. With performative responses, the interactive audio-visual installation invites the participant to explore the imagined uncanny beings and their universe through movement and initiate first contact. 

The video projection adds another layer to the work, enhancing the physical room by turning the surface of the wall into a window to another world. The ivy and neon tubes that are present in this virtual space are thus brought into gallery space, to further enhance the realness of the experience and create a sense of presence. 

The interactive installation is designed for one participant at a time, offering a holographic first person perspective with the help of a motion sensor which tracks the position of the participant’s head and moves the virtual camera accordingly. 

The work is based on gesture recognition and tackles the idea of how a reductionist AI understands human behaviour. Whenever a person is detected in the exhibition space, a different critter appears on screen and follows the participant around the room. When certain human-made gestures (hugging, attacking, saluting and hiding) are detected, the critter will respond with changes, both visually and through sound, as if trying to establish a communication protocol with the human. The uncanny looking critters were co-created with Midjourney, an AI based image generator and transformed into 3D virtual beings.

Delo temelji na prepoznavanju kretenj in obravnava idejo redukcionistične umetne inteligence, ki razume človeško vedenje. Nenavadna bitja so bila ustvarjena s pomočjo programske opreme Midjourney, generatorja slik, ki temelji na umetni inteligenci, in so bila nato preoblikovana v 3D virtualna bitja.