Playfulness, rebelliousness and creativity
What is an artificial creature?
An artificial creature can be either a robot or a non-robot, a requirement is that the object triggers the human to ‘subjectify’ it, by that I mean projecting emotions, intentions, etc. You could argue that a stuffed toy is possibly an artificial creature since children are able to project emotions on it, but it will still be a static object. To kids this is not a huge problem because they have great imagination. I propose an additional dimension that is essential, which is movement. This way the creature starts to behave more lifelike and can exhibit a certain behaviour. Another important aspect is a certain degree of unpredictability, the behaviour manifests itself in differently each time. An industrial robot is not considered an artificial creature as it repeats the same act, there is no element of surprise or response to personal contact, it does not feel alive, we know what behaviour it will exhibit next.
ADA - analog interactive installation / kinetic sculpture / post-digital drawing machine
ADA is a balloon with charcoal spikes that floats in the exhibition space. The moment she hits the walls, she leaves a scratch along the walls. ADA is set in motion by the audience, the enormous size of the object forces the audience to interact with her. She evokes responses by bumping into people, she keeps coming back to you asking for attention just like a dog. The experience is a bit rebellious since a museum is usually a place that should be held in reverence and not to be painted on. ADA invites you to try out different drawing patterns. The exact outcome is unpredictable as the ball is responsible for the execution, which contributes to a highly accessible experience. ADA has a limited lifespan, as she gets more visitors, she becomes a little older and darker every time. ADA is a good example of a non-robot that is subjectified. She clearly appeals to playfulness, rebelliousness and creativity.