Lauren Lee McCarthy + Kyle McDonald Unlearning Language
Unlearning Language Handout
Lauren Lee McCarthy + Kyle McDonald New Performance “Unlearning Language"in collaboration with YCAM
photo: Yasuhiro Tani
The audience is encouraged to participate in an experiment by an AI interested in humans.
As the audience communicates with each other in response to the AI, the AI tries to detect and analyze the audience's facial expressions, words, and body movements through cameras and microphones. If the AI recognizes it, it prompts the audience to find new communication methods.
Today, due to the sophistication of networks and AI technology, our daily lives are converted into data and analyzed, and as a result, optimized assistance from AI has become commonplace. This work forces the audience to think about the difference between humans and machines (AI) by being forced to find ways of communicating with other audience members without being recognized by AI. This work can be seen as a testing ground for AI to experiment with humans, forcing us to improvise and invent humane qualities that AI does not have through experiences that are sometimes fun and awkward.
Implied in the title is the importance of letting go of some of the habits and knowledge we take for granted and leaving space for new learning. We have become so close to AI in our daily lives that we ask what AI and technology should be like in which humanity is prioritized.
Unlearning Language Handout
Artist
Lauren Lee McCarthy
An artist examining social relationships in the midst of surveillance, automation, and algorithmic living. She has received grants and residencies from Creative Capital, United States Artists, LACMA Art+Tech Lab, Sundance, Eyebeam, Pioneer Works, Autodesk, and Ars Electronica. Her work “SOMEONE” (2017) was awarded the Ars Electronica Golden Nica and the Japan Media Arts Social Impact Award and her work “LAUREN” (2017) was awarded the IDFA DocLab Award for Immersive Non-Fiction. Lauren's work has been exhibited internationally, at places such as the Barbican Centre, Haus der elektronischen Künste, SIGGRAPH, Onassis Cultural Center, IDFA DocLab, Science Gallery Dublin, Seoul Museum of Art.
Lauren holds an MFA from UCLA and a BS in Computer Science and BS in Art and Design from MIT. She is also the creator of p5.js, an open-source art and education platform that prioritizes access and diversity in learning to code. She expands on this work in her role on the Board of Directors for the Processing Foundation, whose mission is to serve those who have historically not had access to the fields of technology, code, and art in learning software and visual literacy. Lauren is an Associate Professor at UCLA Design Media Arts.
Kyle McDonald
An artist working with code. He is a contributor to open-source arts-engineering toolkits like openFrameworks and builds tools that allow the artist to use new algorithms creatively. McDonald likes sharing ideas and projects in public before they're completed. He creatively subverts network communication and computation, explores glitches and systemic bias, and extends these concepts to the reversal of everything from identity to relationship. He frequently leads workshops exploring computing vision and interaction. Previously an adjunct professor at NYU's ITP, member of F.A.T. Lab, and community manager for openFrameworks. In the past, an artist in residence at STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at CMU. Work commissioned and shown worldwide, including NTT ICC, Ars Electronica, Sonar/OFFF, Eyebeam, Anyang Public Art Project, and Cinekid.
He stayed at YCAM for the Guest Research Project vol.1, "ProCamToolkit" (2011) and "Reactor for Awareness in Motion (RAM)" (2012-2013). He has exhibited works including Kyle Mcdonald's "I Eat Beats" (2011) and Daito Manabe + Kyle Mcdonald + Zachary Lieberman + Theodore Watson's "The Janus Machine" (2011).
Event Details
- Period: 2022 November 12th (Sat) – 2023 January 29th (Sun)
- Sat-Sun/Holidays: 10:30 / 11:00 / 11:30 / 12:00 / 12:30 / :00 / 13:30 / 14:00 / 14:30 / 15:00 / 15:30 / 16:00 / 16:30 / 17:00 / 17:30
- Mon-Fri: 12:30 / 13:30 / 14:30
- Venue: Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM], Studio B
- Closed: Tuesday
- Tickets: No reservations, sold at the venue on the day of the performance
- Age: 10 years old +
- Seat: 2-7 people per slot
Note
- Some effects include blackouts, sudden blinking lights, and loud sounds
- As part of the experience, we film and record the audience
- November 12th will only be performed from 15:00
Organisation
- Host - Yamaguchi City Foundation for Cultural Promotion, The Association of Public Theaters and Halls in Japan
- Supported: Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi City Education Committee, Goethe-Institut
- Funded: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan
- Collaborated: Rhizomatiks, BACKSPACE Productions Inc., Pacific Basin Arts Communication, Japan Center
- Co-development: YCAM InterLab
- Production: Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM]
Participating project in "Kumonkyo Art Caravan Project: Go Go Theater!! 2"
The Critical Engineering Working Group "Unintended Emissions”
Two antennas and a group of huge monitors — This work uses antennas to send and receive multiple wireless signals and the Wi-Fi's "automatic search function (probe request)" in the audiences’ smartphone to analyze and visualize user data that is automatically shared.
To be more specific, by analyzing the MAC address, which is a unique identification number attached to network devices and adapters, the name of the mobile device manufacturer is displayed, and the location of the device, meaning the location of the audience member is mapped onto a map of the venue. Furthermore, based on the name of the Wi-Fi (SSID) the audience has connected in the past, the system estimates and displays the location where the audience member has stayed within a radius of approximately five kilometers around YCAM.
Seeing the mobile devices being tracked in real-time guides them to think about the digital and wireless surveillance system adopted around the world, which deprives information without the user's clear consent, even though the user is not sharing information intentionally.
In FY2020, the workshop "Am I Made of the Internet?" also addressed the transparency, arbitrariness, surveillance, and censorship of the Internet.
YCAM developed an application called the "Man in the Middle Browser," which intercepts and alters the content of communications made by participants in the workshop, using a technology called "man-in-the-middle" (man-in-the-middle attack). This activity led to many discussions about the existence and intentions of the people behind the system.
The Critical Engineering Working Group, the creators of "Men In Grey" (2009-2014), which inspired the creation of the "Chained Browser," has been educating people about networks and machines through artworks, exhibitions, and workshops for more than 20 years since 1999. Engineering Working Group, which has been educating the public about networks and machines through artwork, exhibitions and workshops for over 20 years since 1999.
The Critical Engineering Manifesto, published in 2011, states, "We believe that any technology can be a challenge or a threat the moment we depend on it. The more technology we rely on, the more we must question the technology itself. By eliminating the bias and mystification of technology and presenting a realistic picture of current technology, we present an opportunity for discussion.
The Critical Engineering Working Group
Artists and engineers Julian Oliver, Gordan Savičić Savicic, and Danja Vasiliev published The Critical Engineering Manifesto in 2011. Around this manifesto, Sarah Grant, Bengt SjölénSjolen, and Joanna Moll joined to form "The Critical Engineering Working Group".
The declaration, which begins, "The Critical Engineer considers Engineering to be the most transformative language of our time, shaping the way we move, communicate and think…” has much to say about the norms of critical engineering. It sets out a broad scope to learn from the "history of art, architecture, activism, philosophy, and invention" and describes its mission to keep a watchful eye on technology, always examining it from multiple perspectives.
More than a decade after its publication, the text has been translated into 18 languages and is appearing on the walls and texts of hackerspaces, museums, and schools of engineering and media art, increasing its significance today.
Notable works by members include “Packetbrücke” (2012), “PRISM: The Beacon Frame” (2014), “Deep Sweep” (2015), “Vending Private Network” (2018), and “WannaScry!” (2021). “Newstweek” (2011) won the Ars Electronica Golden Nica, and “Men in Grey” (2009) won the Japan Media Arts Festival Excellence Award. Their work has been exhibited at museums and festivals worldwide, including ZKM, Transmediale, The Glass Room, MUTEK, The Chaos Computer Congress, Tate Modern, FILE, Venice Biennale, and many others.
In parallel with their creative work, they share their knowledge through intensive one- to multi-day workshops on topics such as Software Defined Radio, Network/Infrastructure Engineering, and Biocomputing.
https://criticalengineering.org/en
Related Exhibitions : Sakoku Walled Garden Project Archive exhibition
About 20 years after the Internet became widely available to the public, two workshops developed through YCAM's research and development project "Chained [Walled Garden] Project," which considers the future of information and the Internet, will be introduced, as well as "surveillance capitalism," one of today's Internet topics connected to "unlearning language.
Related Events 2022/11/12 (sat) - 2023/1/29 (sun), 10:00hrs 〜 19:00hrs
Note :
- 11/12 (Sat)、11/13 (Sun), exhibition will be extended to 20:00hrs
- Not available during the talk event
- Venue: Foyer, 2F Gallery
- Free admission
Sakoku BBS
This is a forum for sharing opinions and ideas about the Internet, machines (AI), and information while answering unique questions from artists, writers, and researchers participating in the "Chained Country [Walled Garden] Project" and "Unlearning Language. A special online project, "Satoshi Kizawa's Exciting Animal Fortune Telling" by writer Satoshi Kizawa, will also be held.
Related Events : Performance, Screenings, Talk events, Workshops
Related Screenings
- Film “Citizenfour” (2014) and Snowden(2016) will be screened.
- Dates: 2022 October 29th (Sat) – 30th (Sun), November 2nd (Wed) – 4th (Fri)
- Venue: Studio C
- Capacity: 100 seats
- Ticket price: General - 1300 JPY, “any” member, special discount, under 25 years old - 800 JPY
- For more information about the screenings, please refer to the YCAM website for information on the schedule and ticket information.
Opening Performance
Photo by Yuya Fujishiro & Junya Gyobu
A performance of behind the stories of the artwork using the “Unlearning Language” performance space
- Date: 2022 November 12th (Sat) 13:00 Start
- Venue: Studio B
- Price: Free admission
- Performers: Chika Araki, Wataru Naganuma (Nuthmique, Sansakusya), Mari Fukutome, Megumi Miyazaki (Gekidan Shibainu)
- Ticket Price: Free admission
- Capacity: 90 seats
Related Talk Events
Public Talk
How Digital Surveillance Will Change Society: Thoughts from Snowden's Accusations
A talk about "surveillance capitalism" from the perspective of the first journalist in Japan to conduct an independent interview with Snowden, and as a researcher of surveillance
- Date: 2022 October 30th (Sun) 12:30-14:00
- Venue: Studio C
- Speaker: Midori Ogasawara (Journalist and Sociologist) *Online
- Price: Free admission
- Capacity : 100 seats
Public Talk
"Unlearning Language" Coming Soon! Recommended Films to Learn More
Films have portrayed AI and the Internet in numerous ways. An event about the background of Unlearning Language through the films researched for the project
- Date: 2022 November 3rd (Thu - Holiday) 14:55-15:25
- Venue: Studio C, Free
- Speaker: Keina Konno (YCAM)
- Ticket Price: Free admission
- Capacity: 100 seats
Opening Performance Talk
Seeing and Listening with Machines
A talk about human communication and creativity triggered by encounters with machines, and the future of AI and the Internet by artists and an informatics researcher
- Date: 2022 November 12th (Sat) 14:00-16:00
- Venue: Foyer
- Speakers: Dominick Chen (Informatics researcher), Lauren Lee McCarthy, Kyle
McDonald
- JP-EN Interpretation included
- Ticket Price: Free admission (Reservation required)
- Capacity: 80 seats
Public Talk
What is Critical Engineering?
As The Critical Engineering Working Group, Vasiliev and Sjolen have been leading critical engineers. We will unravel their activities.
- Date: 2022 November 12th (Sat) 17:00-19:00
- Venue: Foyer
- Speakers: Danja Vasiliev and Bengt Sjolen (The Critical Engineering Working Group)
Yohei Miura (YCAM)
- JP-EN Interpretation included
- Ticket Price: Free admission (Reservation required)
- Capacity: 80 seats
Public Talk
The transition and current of the Internet in Japan
We use the Internet every day. How did we become this way? The history of the Internet in Japan, from its appearance to the present, will be discussed from a wide variety of cultural events as a reference.
- Date 2022 December 3rd (Sat) 14:00-15:30
- Venue Foyer
- Speaker Sayawaka (Critique, Comic author)
- Price Free admission (Reservation required)
- Capacity 80 seats
Public Talk
Learning and unlearning words – how are humans and AI different
How can language be learned and unlearned? The up-and-coming author discusses the differences between machines and humans from the perspective of language.
- Date 2022 December 4th (Sun) 14:00-15:30
- Venue Foyer
- Speaker Ai Kawazoe (Linguist, Novelist)
- Price Free admission (Reservation required)
- Capacity 80 seats
Closing Panel Discussion
Beyond Surveillance Capitalism – Future of the Internet
Surya Mattu, the advisor for the 2020 "SAKOKU [Walled Garden] Project," and Taeyoon, who is involved in a wide range of activities centered on art, will talk about the future of the Internet.
- Date: 2023 January 28th (Sat) 13:00-15:00
- Venue: Online *With live streaming
- Speakers: Surya Mattu(Artist, Engineer, Journalist), Taeyoon Choi (Artist, Educator,
Organizer)
- JP-EN Interpretation included
- Ticket Price: Free admission (Reservation required)
- Capacity: 80 seats
Events
Event
Triangle Talk Session
This is a participatory event in which you will engage in a dialogue between the work, yourself, and others
- Dates: 2022 November 13th (Sun), December 3rd (Sat), December 4th (Sun)
2023 January 29th (Sun) / All at 16:00-18:00
- Venue: Foyer
- Navigator: Daichi Yamaoka, Keina Keina, Izumi Hara (YCAM)
- Ticket Price: Free admission (Reservation required)
- Capacity: 20 seats
- Age 10 years old +
Workshop
secrets of me in.ter.net
This is a workshop to think about a safe Internet from the standpoints of both senders and receivers of information
- Dates: 2022 November 23rd (Wed), December 10th (Sat), December 11th (Sun)
2023 January 21st (Sat), January 22nd (Sun) / All 13:00-16:00
- Venue: Online
- Navigator: Daichi Yamaoka, Keina Konno, Izumi Hara (YCAM)
- Ticket Price: Free admission (Reservation required)
- Capacity: 8 people
- Age: 10 years old +
Events
Gallery Tour
A tour with the staff involved in the project. YCAM staff who worked with The Critical Engineering Working Group for a year will talk about episodes in the production of the work
- Dates: 2022 November 27th (Sun), 2023 January 28st (Sat) / All at 16:00-16:40
- Venue: Foyer
- Navigator: Daichi Yamaoka, Keina Konno, Izumi Hara, Yohei Miura (YCAM)
- Ticket Price: Free admission (Reservation required)
- Capacity: 20 people
- Age: 10 years old +
For information on how to register for related events, please visit the YCAM website.