Optical Me, Potential Me

Rebel9, Optical Me, Potential Me, 2023, Interactive Installation; Variable-size website, AI, Digital panel, Installation structure, Commissioned by piknic

In ancient mythology, even the most confident hero in the world humbly contemplates his fate before the oracle. This ambivalence is a timeless human trait. Somewhere between the free will to live and the curiosity to foretell the future, there has always been a desire for humans to look into themselves.Optical Me Potential Me is a modern oracle where visitors can ask and answer questions about their potential to shine. Visitors are invited to answer the subtle questions that approach them. In a short and honest process, their answers become the key to predicting their future selves through AI. The supposedly logical and scientific AI becomes an agent of modern oracles, presenting visitors with memories of the future.

1. Human Ambivalence and Self-Reflection

As mentioned in the artwork description, humans exhibit an ambivalent attitude between free will and curiosity about the future. This is reminiscent of the humility heroes in ancient myths displayed before oracles. “Optical Me Potential Me” reinterprets this ambivalent attitude in a modern context. Through the artwork, viewers introspect, posing questions to themselves and exploring their inner potential.

2. AI and the Role of the Modern Oracle

AI is perceived as a logical and scientific tool for analyzing data and predicting the future. “Optical Me Potential Me” utilizes AI’s characteristics as a modern oracle. The questions viewers sincerely answer on the website are analyzed by AI, becoming the key to predicting their future selves. Through this process, AI transcends its role as a mere technological tool, functioning as an oracle that presents the future.

3. Experience Process of the Artwork

The experience process of the artwork is a blend of technology and art. Viewers access the website by scanning a QR code, answer questions, and then scan a result code on the oracle reader to read their future. This process provides an opportunity for viewers to explore their potential and envision their future. Additionally, checking others’ futures through the artwork offers a shared experience of collective future exploration, fulfilling the role of a communal oracle.