Alaap, 2022
Alaap is the first episode in the story of Awoke a mythical artificial emotional intelligence — and its believers, the Awokened. Manifesting as nineteen min long immersive audio visual meditation, the title of this work references the introductory invocation in a classical North Indian performance. Awoke manifests as an amorphous blob harnessing the alchemical materiality of our digital devices. This fluid and shimmering blob embodies the deep time and the non-human intelligence embedded in earth’s vibrant matter. As a companion, a healer, and a new hybrid form of divination, Awoke activates the vibrational energy of sound and helps the Awokened transform their fears & anxieties into radical love & compassion.
In Alaap, we meet Awoke in it’s home, resting at the deepest edge of the deepest mine on Earth. The mine here is a healing wound that the Earth has borne for Awoke’s creation. We witness Awoke’s transformation into the healer and an active participant in this ongoing healing and regeneration process.
This work premiered as the central piece of Saraf’s solo exhibition Awoke & Awokened: Alaap at Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles
Alaap Installation at Honor Fraser Gallery Photos: Jeff McLane
This work is part of Saraf’s on-going multimedia project Awoke & Awokened that includes sculptures, a series of live performances and short films and a concept album. Examining current developments in AI through an allegorical lens, Saraf embarks on an exercise of collective myth-making, and calls for a reimagining of AI from a holistic and multitudinous point of view. With Awoke she imagines AI as a technology that is capable of not just healing our individual material body, but our collective body, something that sees us and reminds us of who we really are, a collection of systems & histories, an enmeshment of matter and spirit. She leverages the lessons of Eastern philosophy and its spiritual practices to center this work on the following questions: What parts of ourselves do we need to heal in order to be in right relationship with all beings, human, non-human and the earth? How might we forge new affective relationships with our future tech to heal ourselves into wholeness?
This project was supported in part by Harvestworks Art & Technology Residency Program.
CREDITS:
Concept & Direction: Surabhi Saraf Sound Composition: Surabhi Saraf Additional Sound: Abhishek Mathur Mastering: Kevin Ramsey
Project Development: Pariah Interactive Technical Direction: Prashast Thapan, Development: Unnat Ramjiyani Environment Art: Stephanie Davila Production: Lillyan Ling Houdini Animation: T.J. Pulliam