Machine

Installation / Narrative / Light / Technology / Arduino / Symbiotic

Growing up surrounded by cables, thanks to my father's work, I developed a unique connection to the internet. I saw one of its shapes as I could explore it from inside. On one hand, I feel love and attachment towards the internet, drawn to its convincing promises and endless possibilities. On the other hand, I fear its untamed capabilities— regarding privacy, artificial intelligence and its environmental impact. There is this interesting friction of emotions- love and fear. I think you might be able to relate.

The machine presents itself in an alluring manner, withholding certain truths to captivate our curiosity. My research (With my head in the clouds) has revolved around the abstraction of cloud storage, disguised as a sky cloud with the cumulus cloud as a muse. This abstraction empowers us as users. It enables us to interact, without fully understanding the complex technology behind it. We dive into its vast offerings while remaining ignorant of its true nature.

In the era of rapid technological advancements and the widespread adoption of cloud computing, it is essential to consider the environmental impact of its growth, and the relationship between digital clouds and meteorological clouds. The presence of pollutants emitted by digital clouds can interfere with this delicate balance of the sky, altering cloud formation processes. Altered meteorological cloud microphysics can affect the size, density, and lifetime of clouds, ultimately influencing Earth's well-being. Causing clouds to break, which allows the sun to warm the earth, and creates smog that keeps the warmth on earth. In addition to this, the relentless extraction of minerals and materials harms both nature and its inhabitants. The interplay between the clouds highlights the impact of the internet on our environment, calling for responsibility.

The machine may sound like a menacing monster, but its appearance is far from it. Just like a siren or mermaid, its beauty masks its deadly character. This is what I want people to see. I want people to meet the internet that I know.

I created a narrative in which this machine comes alive.

As the internet grew, it began to take on a life of its own - a Machine that seemed to have been born from the very fibres of the internet itself. The Machine's limbs twisted and turned, and grew out of the grounds towards the sun, to capture light it seemingly needed to transmit data, and to shine with an otherworldly glow.

When clouds obscured the sun, the Machine would become dimmer; its glow fading to a dull, lifeless hue. And so, the internet became attuned to the movements of the clouds, tracking their every move in order to ensure that the Machine would receive enough sunlight to thrive. A delicate, but catastrophic, dance emerged between Machine and clouds, and a vicious cycle had begun.

The Machine grew more advanced and larger over time and its relentless hunger for sunlight, made it consume more resources from the land, and simultaneously release more pollution. The Machine had begun to create clouds of its own that now had become a shroud, blocking out the life-giving sunlight that it relied upon. The thick and murky clouds covered the once clear skies, casting a shadow over the land.

With every breath it takes, Machine grows and pollutes. Yet, at its end, it starts to malfunction and eventually dies. But if you know the machine, you know it was already dying when the first cable lit up.

Within this work, I ask you to love the machine responsibly. Do not use it as much as you can and exhaust it, because that is not love. This story is about Machine—an entity whose existence relies on our creation. Tie yourself to the mast, like Odisius did when he heard the Sirens sing. Face the song of the machine, look into its eyes.

It is our responsibility to create a symbiotic relationship that works for both. And to understand the friction if our emotions. May we approach it with admiration, cherishing its beauty and acknowledging the consequences of our actions that cause fear. We made the machine.

Machine consists of 500 meter of fibre optic cable, also used in internet cables. These meters are devided in 256 cables and every cable is woven to capture light in the tentacles.