The strange memories: Artificial intelligence meets stage in Weimar

The strange memories: Artificial intelligence meets stage in Weimar

31. August 2024. That evening in the KET hall of Weimar, the audience receives a mixture of art and digitality, which is characterized by visual and interactive elements. While the spectators can choose between a variety of seating such as a yellowed cot and conventional chairs, there is a strange atmosphere in the hall. The walls are decorated with colorful collages that take up memories and questions, such as "I remember the cables in the garden" or "Has anyone seen my pants?" This visual design, under the direction of Martin Miotk, contributes to the unique atmosphere. Combined with the angular space that is reminiscent of an art museum of the 90s, it immediately becomes clear that something unusual is imminent here.

The art Installation is entitled "The Weird and the Eerie", management by director Michael von Zur Mühlen, who already caused a sensation with a successful project such as "Opera - A Future Game". The focus of the evening is the interaction with an artificial intelligence (AI) that has documented Thomas Köck's last 20 years of life. Köck, a well -known playwright and director, reaches for the controller and goes on a journey through his past. With a mix of humorous and thoughtful moments, the artist tries to connect to his digital doppelganger.

a dialogue between man and machine

The demonstration begins tranquil when snowflakes trickle on the big canvas before Köck and his colleagues - Katharina Ernst, Annea Lounatvuori and Andreas Spechtl - enter the room. Köck's avatar suddenly appears from a strange place, a kind of wooden toilet in an abandoned landscape, and shows no joy. The digital character complains about life and power that the exchange with the participants is difficult. The provocative sentence is emblazoned on her top: "Don’t Look Back", which illustrates the inequality between man and machine. The interaction is growing, and the audience can even actively intervene in the game, which creates a lively connection between virtual reality and the real world.

A central element of the evening are the musical contributions that accompany the events. Andreas Spechtl, who is also active as a musician, ensures the right acoustic background with his dark indie rock sound. Several scenes alternate when the musicians immerse themselves in the digital world of their avatar. Spechtl's trip to his childhood home in particular through the digital attics and basements captivates the spectators. There he meets collages of political figures and critical moments that disturb the nostalgic memories.

The game of memories and criticism

The performance focuses on how the AI acts as an archive of the past. Every time a musician enters the digital world, new layers of memories and associations are released. The audience is constantly confronted with questions: What does it mean to live in a digitized world, and how much of this reality is actually shaped by ourselves? One of the most impressive scenes happens when an anime figure penetrates the game and complains about the jobs that are at risk from AI and thus open a further dimension of the dialogue.

The haunting representations and the unconventional access to the topic of human memory in combination with the machine perspective mean that the evening triggers deeper thoughts despite its humorous approaches. How does the past shape us and how much influence does the technology have on our memories? There is room for speculation: Are the reviews that are expressed during the evening actually initiated by the AI or is the audience manipulated?

The evening does not only captivate the interactivity and the impressive aesthetics. There is a multifaceted discussion about the interfaces between humans, machines and what we perceive as a reality. The experience of "The Weird and the Eerie" is not only a theatrical performance, but also an invitation to a critical dialogue about our own perception of past and future.

In the end, the question remains how deep we really want to immerse yourself in the world of artificial intelligence. Is the AI just a tool for creative expression, or even questions our human experiences? The answer remains in the room, like the rollator on which the viewer can take a seat on the way through his own story, while the AI, in its own mood, is ready to tell further stories.

Performance can be seen as the start of a longer -term project that explores the boundaries between analog and digital experience. The room will be accessible as an installation in the coming days, and it will be exciting to see how the audience reacts to it.

The Weird & the Eerie

Director, gamedesign and production: Michael v. To Mühlen, text: Thomas Köck & Ki, visual concept: Martin Miotk, composition: Andreas Spechtl. Live musician: inside and performer: inside: Katharina Ernst, Annea Lounatvuori, Thomas Köck, Andreas Spechtl. Premiere on August 30, 2024 in Weimar. Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes, no break.