Installation — Projection – AI
NEW FAITH
"New Faith" is a research on modern-day spirituality. It explores the intersection of Techno-Utopianism and the Cult of Wellness – where self-optimization gurus preach on TikTok live, apps track your mental well-being, and spinning coaches inspire the masses via TV screens. I fed hundreds of self-help, performance optimisation and mental health posts, videos and podcasts into different neural engines. These engines then created a fully artificial meditation speech, projection visuals and illustration cues for the window design.
In 2024 LanaLive transdisciplinary cultural festival invited me to show the "New Faith" art installation at the St. Hipolyt church in Lana, Italy.
The cultural festival LanaLive 2024, under the motto "Traditions in Transition," was dedicated to the exploration and reflection on the transformation of traditional rituals in our society. From May 24 to June 2, 2024, the festival invited attendees to discover new perspectives on customs and habits together with artists, scientists, and representatives of traditional associations such as the Bürgerkapelle Lana.
In an era characterized by rapid social and technological progress, LanaLive 2024 provided a space for reflection and discourse on the preservation and reorientation of traditions. Through a diverse program of music, visual arts, performances, lectures, and discussions, participants were encouraged to question the significance of rituals in today's society and to explore possible future scenarios.
www.lanalive.it
WELLNESS // THE TEMPLE OF TECHNO-WELLNESS // THE TEMPLE OF TECHNO–
WELLNESS // THE TEMPLE OF TECHNO-WELLNESS // THE TEMPLE OF TECHNO–
INTRODUCTION
My project, "New Faith," explores the concept of "Techno-Wellness," a term I coined to describe the convergence of Techno-Utopianism and the Cult of Wellness. This exploration delves into how our increasingly digitized world has transformed traditional spirituality and rituals into new forms of faith, intertwined with technology and wellness.
BACKGROUND
I discuss the growing integration of technology into personal wellness, emphasizing how gadgets, apps, and platforms have become tools for mindfulness, health, and betterment. This background sets the stage for understanding the complex relationship between technology, wellness, and spirituality in contemporary society.
THEORY
The theoretical foundation of my work argues that in the age of atheism and hyper-consumerism, we have not abandoned spirituality but transformed it. I suggest that traditional religious practices have evolved into a new system of faith, "Techno-Wellness," where technology is central to achieving personal enlightenment and well-being.
TECHNO-UTOPIANISM HAS CHANGED HOW WE CONCEIVE OF OUR BODIES AND SELVES.
TECHNO-UTOPIANISM:
MY BODY IS MY RESOURCE.
THE CULT OF WELLNESS:
MY BODY IS MY TEMPLE.
EXECUTION
To bring this theory to life, I created a multi-media installation that visualizes "Techno-Wellness" as a religion of our time. This includes analyzing and synthesizing elements from various facets of the wellness movement, such as yoga, diet, medicine, bio-hacking, and exercise. The project employs advanced language AI (at that time GPT-3) to generate a "Techno-Wellness gospel" and visually, it features a stained glass window landscape inspired by religious art. The installation is a fusion of voice, image, music, and light, representing the new spirituality in the digital age.
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SUMMARY
For me, “New Faith” embodies a very momentary portrayal, a contemporary observation, just like a photo is a single moment captured on film.
It doesn’t predict where the future of Techno-Wellness lies, nor does it judge its past. All it does is portray the New Faith as it is right now and confronts the viewer with all its wisdom and shallowness, all its teachings and platitudes. It is left to the viewer to decide what to do with this information, whether to follow it or reject it.
But I am genuinely sure that spirituality is something inevitable in our lives. Be it in the form of a trendy workout, a nice diet or some new morning routine.
University of Arts Berlin, 2021
New Media Class
Bachelor Project
newmedia.udk-berlin.de