Co-designing digital scenographies with Artificial Intelligence in The Vera Watson Wellness Centre
- Authors
- Publication Date
- Jul 17, 2024
- Source
- Queensland University of Technology ePrints Archive
- Keywords
- License
- Unknown
Abstract
This presentation questions whether scenographic and intermedial practice are in a state of crisis given the growing power, influence and application of artificial intelligence (AI). Building on the emerging discussions in the field of artificial intelligence and intermediality (Eacho 2023; Befera 2023; d’Inverno & McCormack 2015) with a specific focus on the scenographic (O’Dwyer 2021), this research aims to question the impact of artificial intelligence on theatre and performance designers and audiences.<br/>The Vera Watson Wellness Centre is a new Australian theatrical work that asks audiences to reconsider their relationship with AI. Vera plays off the idea of the modern Virtual Production volume, reimaging the traditional box set and transforming the walls into a constantly shifting projection surface. The vision content consists of AI-generated stills and video, intended to bring attention to the artifice of the characters situation. As the play revolves around 3 humans characters interactions with 3 anthropomorphised robots controlled by AI (played by human actors), the use of AI imagery serves as a constant reminder to the audience of the synthetic nature of the situation. The digital scenography will be created through a hybrid approach using digital media in combination with generative AI platforms (text-to-image, image-to-video, video transform functions and generative fill) to create purely fictional people, places and surroundings.<br/>The larger research project is focused on both the creation of the performance, as well as how audiences’ perceptions of AI evolve throughout the experience. This presentation will focus on the creative practice component of the research: the shaping digital scenography in partnership with AI. The practice-based research will consider not only how digital scenography is created for performance texts that explore AI, but also how such works can co-create their environment with AI.<br/>In so doing, we’ll consider the process of creating with AI – our potentially problematic, ever changeable, plagiarising co-designer – and question: How does artificial intelligence shape the scenographic process and product?
