"What is the myth you are living? I found no answer to this question, and had to admit that I was not living with a myth, or even in a myth, but rather in an uncertain cloud of theoretical possibilities which I was beginning to regard with increasing distrust ... So in the most natural way, I took it upon myself to get to know ‘my’ myth.” (Carl G. Jung in The Red Book)
Clouded Consciousness is an interactive art installation that uses sand as a communication interface between the subconscious mind and the cloud. The work of Carl Jung is used to understand and classify data we leave behind in the digital realm, revealing subconscious behavior patterns.
The intention is to invent a special kind of search engine, distinct from those exploiting personal data for targeted ads. Instead, it invites users to discover insights about their subconscious mind, fostering self-awareness and prompting reflection on the motivations behind their online searches. By writing in the sand snippets of information that are usually stored in the cloud, like online activity or internet searches, users can connect with their archetype and explore a personalized interplay of projected mandalas, generated by AI.
The work of Carl Jung is used to understand and classify data we leave behind in the digital realm, revealing subconscious behavior patterns.
This project employs a multidisciplinary approach and investigates how the digital era resonates with Jung’s theories. The aim of the research is to uncover the potential for the digital landscape to evoke and amplify archetypal motifs, influencing individual and collective thought patterns.
How it works:
- using the lightbox, write a text in the sand
- the text is analyzed and classified in one of Jung's archetypes (Self/Shadow/Persona/Anima/Animus/Parent/Child/Trickster). The tablet displays the archetype and additional information (what part of your subconscious mind activated, why did you want to find out more information about that topic etc)
- the archetype is visualized as a mandala animation (each archetype has its own mandalas). The images were generated using StyleGan3 models (i created and trained a model for each archetype)
- Each archetype has a specific sound FX and LED colors
This art installation was exhibited at Ars Electronica (2023), NeoArtConnect (2024), International Shakespeare Festival (2024), "Drag de învățare" Festival (2024) and RADAR Festival (2024).
This art installation is a result of my disertation thesis and it was also present during AI in Art Practices and Research Conference (2024).
Huge thanks to my professors and my university for creating this master degree program: Interactive Technologies for Performative and Media Arts, UNATC Bucharest.