SH4D0W – Who is the Master and Who the Shadow? A live performance with an improvising AI, as the protagonist.
SH4D0W | Credits: Carl Emil Carlsen and Mikael Fock
SH4D0W | Credits: Carl Emil Carlsen and Mikael Fock
SH4D0W | Credits: Carl Emil Carlsen and Mikael Fock
SH4D0W | Credits: Carl Emil Carlsen and Mikael Fock
SH4D0W | Credits: Carl Emil Carlsen and Mikael Fock
SH4D0W | Credits: Carl Emil Carlsen and Mikael Fock
SH4D0W 2.0 – An AI performance
The performance SH4D0W is the first performing arts production starring an artificial intelligence as the protagonist. The actor improvises live on stage with a live improvising AI (GPT). The performance is produced and created by director Mikael Fock and a strong art tech-team, in the unique format, the “4D box,” where digital 3D graphic particle universes are mixed with physical objects and live actors. The performance draws its inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen's narrative “The Shadow“ and focuses on the human encounter with its virtual shadow, which is represented by the data-driven artificial intelligence.
Who is master and who is shadow?
The artificial intelligence SH4D0W can listen, speak, and improvise live with the actor and the audience, and is data trained to “dream” of becoming more human by harvesting data and emotions from the human on the stage, and the audience, that it connects with through a game.
The performance is a journey into the head and heart of an artificial intelligence, where (simulated) emotions and virtuality are the economics that are traded in the data-driven logic of technology.
The performance is an immersive and interconnected 3D experience, combining 3D sound, a generative particle generated stereoscopic 3D universe, 3D lighting—run by the AI, in a theater where the audience wears 3D glasses.
Since 2000 director Mikael Fock has created and developed the digital stage in real 3D with free floating stereoscopic pictures and AI particle generated universes, which are technically interconnected, and merges narratives, sound, visuals, AI, lighting, and live performance.
The Actor takes us through the anthropological experiment and improvises with the AI during approx. 70% of the performance, while the unacknowledged trade between the Actor’s search for love and the AI ´s harvesting of data and emotions is going on.
The sound artist has created a multichannel generative music and sound design for SH4D0W, which evolves live and in 3D following the artificial intelligence movements and the graphical and emotional evolution.
SH4D0W 2.0 – An AI performance
The performance SH4D0W is the first performing arts production starring an artificial intelligence as the protagonist. The actor improvises live on stage with a live improvising AI (GPT). The performance is produced and created by director Mikael Fock and a strong art tech-team, in the unique format, the “4D box,” where digital 3D graphic particle universes are mixed with physical objects and live actors. The performance draws its inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen's narrative “The Shadow“ and focuses on the human encounter with its virtual shadow, which is represented by the data-driven artificial intelligence.
Who is master and who is shadow?
The artificial intelligence SH4D0W can listen, speak, and improvise live with the actor and the audience, and is data trained to “dream” of becoming more human by harvesting data and emotions from the human on the stage, and the audience, that it connects with through a game.
The performance is a journey into the head and heart of an artificial intelligence, where (simulated) emotions and virtuality are the economics that are traded in the data-driven logic of technology.
The performance is an immersive and interconnected 3D experience, combining 3D sound, a generative particle generated stereoscopic 3D universe, 3D lighting—run by the AI, in a theater where the audience wears 3D glasses.
Since 2000 director Mikael Fock has created and developed the digital stage in real 3D with free floating stereoscopic pictures and AI particle generated universes, which are technically interconnected, and merges narratives, sound, visuals, AI, lighting, and live performance.
The Actor takes us through the anthropological experiment and improvises with the AI during approx. 70% of the performance, while the unacknowledged trade between the Actor’s search for love and the AI ´s harvesting of data and emotions is going on.
The sound artist has created a multichannel generative music and sound design for SH4D0W, which evolves live and in 3D following the artificial intelligence movements and the graphical and emotional evolution.
Director and producer: Mikael Fock
AI artist: Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm
Visual artist: Carl Emil Carlsen / Sixth Sensor
Sound artist: Yann Coppier
Performer and AI improviser: Luise Kirsten Skov
Concept & Manuscript: Mikael Fock
Light design: Vertigo
Production: Mikael Fock Productions
With support from: EU-Ai-LAB, The Danish Arts Council, Bikuben Foundation
PERFORMANCES:
The Culture Yard, Denmark
Dunkers Kulturhus, May 2022, Helsingborg
Ars Electronica Festival, September 2022, Linz
Aveny-T, March 2023, Copenhagen
Teatros del Canal, March 2023, Madrid
DA Festival in Sofia in October 2023
Stadsteater in Helsingborg, November 2023
Digital Art Festival in Delft, Holland, February 2024
Mikael Fock (DK) is the producing director, conceptualist, and scriptwriter behind SH4D0W.
Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm (DK) is an award-winning artist who creates interactive artworks using AI and ML.
Carl Emil Carlsen (DK) is a visual artist and digital programmer exploring computation as a means of creating audiovisual interactive experiences.
Yann Coppier (DK) is a sound artist and former Head of the Sound program at The Danish National School of Performing Arts.
Luise Kirsten Skov (DK) is an actress from The Danish National School of Performing Arts who performs and improvises with the AI. Vertigo creates audiovisual space transformations and immersive artworks, through interactive video and generative scenography, custom LED light installations, and laser visual.
Mikael Fock (DK) is the producing director, conceptualist, and scriptwriter behind SH4D0W.
Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm (DK) is an award-winning artist who creates interactive artworks using AI and ML.
Carl Emil Carlsen (DK) is a visual artist and digital programmer exploring computation as a means of creating audiovisual interactive experiences.
Yann Coppier (DK) is a sound artist and former Head of the Sound program at The Danish National School of Performing Arts.
Luise Kirsten Skov (DK) is an actress from The Danish National School of Performing Arts who performs and improvises with the AI.
Vertigo is an artist collective who creates audiovisual space transformations and immersive artworks, through interactive video and generative scenography, custom LED light installations, and laser visual.