the day dreamer

Blog Post: "Head in the cloud", by Amy Guijt

Daydreaming & the Unpredictable Mind.

I really like the connection between daydreaming and surrealism.

Surrealist art, like the works of Dalí and Magritte, blends reality and imagination, much like how our minds wander when we daydream

The example of ‘Homunculus Loxodontus’ by Margriet van Breevoort was a good example. Its patient, thoughtful expression makes it seem lost in its own world, just like someone deep in thought.

Amy’s post also made an interesting point about artificial creatures and their inability to daydream. Machines are designed to follow instructions, but we sometimes treat them as if they have minds of their own, especially when they don’t work as expected, like a stubborn printer. The unpredictability of these machines, even if they are unintended, almost feels like they have thoughts of their own, just like a distracted person.

Building on this concept of daydreaming I I imagine an interactive artwork called 'The Day Dreamer'. The piece would explore the idea of artificial daydreaming through a robot programmed with a ‚human-like‘ wandering attention span.

In an exhibition space, the robot would perform a simple tasks, e.g. like drawing patterns with a mechanical arm. But sometimes, it would stop or change direction unexpectedly, as if distracted. It might pause and make random movements, tilt its "head," or trace invisible lines in the air, mimicking human daydreaming.

Viewers would be invited to observe. Maybe it would evoke curiosity and reflection.

Can a machine daydream, or are we simply projecting our own experiences onto it?

If we relate to a distracted robot, does that say more about how we see ourselves?

My idea expands Amy’s idea on the theme of daydreaming but also challenge perceptions of artificial intelligence, creativity, and consciousness. The 'The Day Dreamer' could us think about the nature of creativity and whether losing focus is actually part of the creative process.

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