Rituale Ex Machina is a technological ritual merging nature and AI-tech environments through a multi-sensory experience.
Once upon a time, we were surrounded by trees, animals, and rivers. They provided fruits, flesh, and water, but they could poison us, eat us, or drown us. We gave them anthropomorphic characteristics, built myths around them, and offered sacrifices to tame and understand them mentally.
They were the Unknown yet beneficial.
Today, every river and sea is mapped, every plant indexed, every animal classified.
Now, we are surrounded by machines of AI algorithms, emulating thinking and perception. Once again, We give them anthropomorphic characteristics (like intelligence and life) and offer daily sacrifices with our clicks and likes.
This is a new technological ritual.
Inside a wooden barn, a hybrid techno-forest was created with smartphones hanging from trees, illuminated by dynamic lighting. Participants’ sounds were captured by suspended microphones, and every touch by hanging phones, transforming the sonic space into a live, interactive sound-art experience.
The project was funded and created in the context of Kullaaugu Music Residency, Estonia, part of Tartu European Capital of Culture 2024.
Produced by Aigar Vals
Set design in collaboration with Niki Psyhogiou
