KiKi

A Walk Through The Past Through Future’s Eyes 

    Creative Exploration - Design Research - Installation Design





In a space designated for dialogue about colonization, whose voice should prevail?

Client:  


Date:
Wereldmuseum Amsterdam

2024


Overview


Wereldmuseum Amsterdam's exhibition on Dutch colonial history in our opinion lacks indigenous perspectives. To address this, we consulted with indigenous individuals and created an interactive AI installation that lets visitors reimagine the artworks for a more balanced narrative.

Our installation features 8 sliders, each altering aspects of the artwork. While AI can perpetuate biases, this project critically explores its role in representing complex histories.





Research




Early research indicates that the Wereldmuseum focuses on educating youth about colonial history. To understand how Dutch children learn this history, our only Dutch team member reviewed her school education, revealing a diluted version of colonial history. Despite colonialism's significant impact on the modern world, educational materials often remain vague (Hennessy, 2022). Media, including children's content, frequently romanticizes colonialism, highlighting adventures and benefits for colonizers rather than the brutal realities faced by indigenous populations, a phenomenon known as "colonial amnesia."

During individual museum visits, we focused on different aspects to avoid bias. The analysis of artifacts and descriptive texts indicated that the language used was diluted. Additionally, there was a noticeable lack of representation of colonized countries' perspectives compared to the Dutch viewpoint. While the exhibition aimed to illustrate the perpetrator vs. victim narrative, this was not effectively conveyed. Conversations with Dutch visitors revealed a lack of emotional response or discomfort, highlighting the need for an art piece that can evoke these reactions and be integrated into the exhibition.  

As an Egyptian and a history fanatic, I noticed how school curricula differ between Egyptian and British schools regarding the British occupation. In my experience, previously colonized countries don't sugarcoat history or soften the language, even for children.




Interaction


 We valued the physical interaction aspect from our initial sketches, as research by Lindgren-Streicher et al. (2007) shows it enhances engagement. We used a KORG NANOKNTRL2 keyboard and used it as the input device where we added a code so the controllers can modify the prompts in real time. 

Through the sliders you edit the value of the prompts on the image infront of you, then you send them and watch the new reality take shape. This allowed the user to add the gruesome perspective the original image lacked. The prompts legend so the users can understand the prompts they are using.