Work in progress
Work in progress
December 2024
On the occasion of #CATALIGHT #KT show: “AUS LICHT UND WASSER. VOM STREBEN NACH »OBERFLÄCHLICHKEIT«.
7th December 2024 till 26th January 2025 at Kunstverein Ulm.
Eine Topfpflanze vertritt in dieser Installation die Welt der Pflanzen. Es ist bekannt, dass Pflanzen auf Berührung reagieren – häufig mit Stress oder Abwehrreaktionen, weil sie Fressfeinde erwarten müssen. Andererseits bewegt auch der sanfte Wind, der für Bestäubung und Vermehrung sorgt, die Blätter. Diese Pflanze darf von Besucher*innen berührt werden, denn sie ist die Berührungsstelle zum Spiel. In der Folge illuminiert UV-Licht ein Muster auf dem Stoff – ein in der Neurowissenschaft routinemäßig verwendeter Farbstoff leuchtet auf.
“Alexa Fluor 488” wird dafür verwendet, Nervenzellen anzufärben und bildet hier Kaulquappen-Nervenzellen ab. In einem wissenschaftlichen Experiment konnten einzellige Algen Gehirnareale von Kaulquappe des Krallenfrosches (Xenopus laevis) durch Photosynthese von innen mit Sauerstoff versorgen, wenn dem Kaulquappengehirn der Sauerstoff von außen entzogen wurde. Die Algen (Chlamydomonas renhardtii) waren durch Injizieren in das Gefäßsystem zu inneren Mitbewohnerinnen der Kaulquappen gemacht worden. Das Berühren der Pflanze und Auslösen des UV-Lichts in dieser Installation leuchtet die Möglichkeitsräume von “Photosymbiose” aus, die auch menschliches Gewebe mit Sauerstoff versorgen könnte. Die forschende Künstlerin Jahrmann gestaltet und druckt, durch sanftes Streicheln auf dem Stoff, die Nervenzellen als Stoffmuster.
Der Spieltrailer ist eingebettet in ein Setting, das an medizinische Untersuchungen erinnert. Zum einen verbindet Margarete Jahrmann damit ein Ausgeliefertsein. Zum anderen nutzen die Künstlerin und der Neurowissenschaftler Glasauer neurologische Untersuchungen für ihre Forschung zu alternativen Zielen und Belohnungskonzepten im Medium Spiel. Die meist unhinterfragten Mechanismen des Sammelns und Eroberns (collect and conquer) spiegeln unsere westliche Lebensweise auf dem Planeten und reproduzieren sie. Um andere Formen des Zusammenlebens erfahrbar zu machen, sind alternative Spielkonzepte wie “Multiperspectivity” wichtige Räume des Experimentierens und Lernens.
Margarete Jahrmann & Stefan Glasauer, Jahr: 2024/25
Materialien: Installation/ Filmessay zum TADPOLE – Addendum “TREEgame”, handgedruckter Stoff mit Alexa Fluor Green, Pflanzenobjekt, Elektroden, Controller Blau-Licht, Untersuchungsliege.
Concept Zeichnung, Stoffdruck und Design/ Konzept Pflanzen Connector Game: Margarete Jahrmann
Controller: Georg Luif
Blue Light Lamp „Tadpole“: Stefan Maier
Tadpole Scary Clip Elements: Louise Linsenbolz.
Film Essay: Stefan Glasauer.
www.kunstverein-ulm.de/ausstellungen/aus-licht-und-wasser-vom-streben-nach-oberflaechlichkeit
September 2024
We recently hosted a two-day workshop where we explored the experimental game, 501 – Psycholudic Shuffle, in a unique setup that combined gameplay with neuroscientific measurement. The workshop brought together participants from diverse fields, including cognitive psychology, neuroaesthetics, and game design, to test the physical version of our game and conduct a cutting-edge EEG hyperscanning experiment.
501 – Psycholudic Shuffle is a physical game designed for three players, where participants switch roles during gameplay, creating an ever-evolving and dynamic interaction. The game challenges traditional roles in play, aiming to explore cognitive and social dynamics in a creative environment.
Following the initial gameplay, we transitioned into the core experiment using three EEGs to create a hyperscan of all participants. This setup allowed us to capture real-time brain activity from each player, overlaying in-game events with EEG data for deeper insights into the cognitive and emotional processes during play.
Key aspects of the experiment:
The workshop featured distinguished experts and artists from various fields who contributed to the discussion and analysis of the experiment:
This workshop marks a significant step in our ongoing research into the intersections of art, game design, and neuroscience. The data collected from this session will provide valuable insights into how we experience and interact during play, with future analyses planned to further explore the cognitive and emotional impacts of our experimental games.
June 2024
At A MAZE. Festival 2024 the installation titled Cre[AI]D was showcased, highlighting the intersection of traditional art and artificial intelligence. This installation continuously generates images using AI, trained on the drawings of artist Margarete Jahrmann.
Cre[AI]D employs an AI system to produce its images. The first AI is dedicated to the visual output, ensuring that each image reflects the style and characteristics of the original drawings.
The process begins with the second AI, which generates prompts for the image creation. These prompts are derived from five randomly selected words taken from a book, introducing an element of randomness and speculative fiction into the generated art. Even the prompts that generate the images are now generated themselves.
A significant feature of the Cre[AI]D installation is the large red buzzer present within the exhibit space. When pressed by a visitor, this buzzer initiates the image generation process. This interactive component allows visitors to engage directly with the installation, triggering the creation of new images with each press.
Cre[AI]D is designed to produce an infinite number of images, ensuring that the exhibit remains dynamic and ever-changing. The continuous generation of new art pieces means that each visitor experiences a unique set of visuals.
Explore our live online version directly in your browser, where you can generate images within a virtual representation of the “Postsparkasse”. Use the WSAD keys to navigate and your mouse to look around. Click on the one-armed bandit to generate a unique image.
June 2024
In the digital atelier of the Psycholudic Game Engine, the boundary between creator and participant dissolves. Here, the alchemy of ChatGPT transforms words into the living code of LUA, crafting levels brimming with potential. This environment invites every player to become an artist, re-imagining the essence of gameplay through the versatile scripting language LUA.
The Psycholudic Game Engine is designed to push the boundaries of traditional game development, allowing players to enter prompts that generate levels and behaviors dynamically. This innovative approach hints at the future of gaming, where players can prompt an environment much like a holodeck, crafting unique experiences with their input.
In this game, players can input prompts that the engine translates into game levels and character behaviors. This process is powered by LUA, a lightweight and efficient scripting language known for its real-time capabilities. LUA allows for immediate modifications to the game’s rules and environment, creating a fluid and responsive gaming experience.
May 2024
We care how we play — to test and change this we use methods of artistic research, experimental psychology, and neuroscience in a combination that we term the PSYCHO-LUDIC APPROACH. In play experiments we investigate alternative motivations for game-playing, how we can learn from these about possible future forms of society, and whether, by using new game mechanisms in experimental, playful contexts we may unlock better means of mediating reflection, thoughts, and action, creating a powerful, transdisciplinary basis for ecologically respectful ways of living.
Fotos: Ivan Jakaric/ Cath Spaeth
May 2024
The Psycholudic Shuffleboard is a project designed to merge traditional card games with modern technology. Specifically, it focuses on the game “Schnapsen,” providing both physical and virtual versions of a game board to facilitate various types of research and analysis.
The physical version of the Psycholudic Shuffleboard is constructed from oak wood and incorporates Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. This board allows each card play to be recorded in real-time, ensuring accurate documentation of the game. The integration of NFC technology means that each card’s movement is logged, providing comprehensive data for analysis.
The board features buttons that players can press to indicate when a game has been won. This feature simplifies the process of recording game outcomes and ensures that all critical events are captured.
An additional aspect of the Psycholudic Shuffleboard project involves using the collected metrics to experiment with role switching within the game. By analyzing detailed logs of gameplay and player interactions, we can identify patterns and triggers when switching roles between players.
The virtual version of the Psycholudic Shuffleboard is designed for scenarios where digital data integration and low latency are essential. This version enables data transmission over the network with minimal delay, which is particularly useful for experiments that involve simultaneous recording of gameplay and brain activity. The virtual board allows for precise timing, capturing game data within milliseconds.
November 2023
We are happy to place the 1st emanation of our new FWF /PEEK project “The Psycho Ludic Approach: Cre[AI]d. A brain aided artistic image generation game”.
Players: reknown scientists, as the QUANTUM LIKE AI/ quantum physics brain pioneer Andrej Khrennikov and the nobel price candidate Masanao Ozawa or Takuya Isomura, BIOMIMETIC AI/ tissue brain expert for neural networks corresponding to free energy brain principal (Friston) from RIKEN Center for Brain science Wake, Japan or the emotional science fabric developer from social robotics lab, Dr. Jaeryoung Lee.
Arigato gozaimasu, Special Thanks for the invitation to Prof. Yutaka Hirata, The Neural Cybernetics Laboratory, Director, Center for Mathematical Science and AI, Chubu University, Matsumoto Kasugai Aichi, JAPAN, https://hirata-nclab.org
1st AI CR[AI]D Brain Image drawing session, Live at Center for Mathematical Science and AI, Chubu University, JP
@Nagoya University 2023, October/November 2023