Abstract

Imagine a world where people are treated like flowers, discarded when they're not fully bloomed or left to wither away when they reach a certain age. Sounds ridiculous, right? Yet, ageism exists in our society, and it affects our daily lives in ways that we might not even realize.   This project delves into the concept of ageism and how it manifests in our thoughts, feelings, and actions. The installation features a generative image of a unique creature named "Anita," which represents the fleeting nature of human life compared to the beauty and fragility of a flower.   Through projection and a public touchscreen app, 'Anita' is generated for each visitor and projected onto a bigger screen, fostering a sense of community and inclusivity, as each visitor becomes a part of the crew of Anita. By participating in the interactive experience, viewers are invited to reflect on their attitudes towards aging and the importance of respecting and honoring people of all ages.   Ultimately, this project is a call to action for greater awareness and understanding of ageism in our society. The installation has the potential to make a lasting impact on the audience, sparking conversations about ageism and the need for greater respect and inclusivity. Join the crew of Anita and be a part of the movement towards a more age-inclusive society.

Research

The research conducted for the project involved utilizing the World Health Organization's global report on ageism and Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now" as informative sources. These resources provide valuable insights into the issue of ageism and underscore the significance of valuing individuals of all ages. Moreover, the project drew inspiration from Chris Milk's "Treachery of Sanctuary" and Refik Anadol's "Unsupervised" as influential examples of how to communicate with the audience and address ageism through the use of AI generative images. "Treachery of Sanctuary" uses interactive technology to create a multi-sensory experience, while "Unsupervised" leverages machine learning to produce an ever-evolving visual narrative. These works serve as an inspiration to use technology to encourage reflection on the issue of ageism and the fragility and beauty of life.

Technical Details

The 'Anita' project's technical details involved using StyleGAN2 to create 80+ instance images and confirm the creature's base look. Stable diffusion model training was done on Google Colab. The app was developed in JavaScript and received feedback from a cloud GPU server. UI design was created in Illustrator and Figma, while Touchdesigner and Madmapper were used for the interactive projection aspect.