Exploring history's hidden layers with the fleeting insights of ephemeral technology
In a space designated for dialogue about colonization, whose voice should prevail?
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.
Ephemerality is the future of user journeys
Ephemerality is redefining design by embracing the present moment, making each interaction uniquely personal and resonant. By embedding ephemerality into user journeys, we amplify the user’s voice, creating experiences that are dynamic and deeply individual. For our project, this approach empowered museum visitors to engage in a temporary yet powerful dialogue with the past, underscoring that the future of design lies in fostering connections that feel both meaningful and momentary.
Our process began with consulting indigenous communities to understand perspectives missing from Wereldmuseum Amsterdam's colonial history exhibition. We then explored how interactive AI tools could allow visitors to engage with and reinterpret the artwork, refining our design through iterative testing and critical assessment of AI’s biases in historical representation.
Bitter Truth
Early research showed that the Wereldmuseum aims to educate youth on colonial history. Reflecting on our own experiences with this topic, we noticed a tendency toward a softened portrayal of colonialism—a pattern known as "colonial amnesia," where media often romanticizes the colonizer’s perspective while overlooking indigenous suffering. During individual museum visits, we analyzed artifacts and texts, finding the language overly neutral and lacking in representation of colonized voices. Conversations with Dutch visitors indicated a limited emotional response to the exhibits, inspiring us to create an art piece that would add a deeper, more challenging layer to the exhibition.
A Bigger Dilemma:
Can we still use AI for a project regarding such a sensitive topic? Is it too influenced? Would it be reflective enough of the voices we want to amplify?
In our research on using AI for a project addressing such a sensitive topic, we grappled with critical questions about its appropriateness: Can AI effectively reflect the voices we aim to amplify, or is it too influenced and potentially censored? We recognized the importance of ensuring that our use of AI aligns with our goal of shifting perspectives. We explored options for creating images based on pre-researched prompts while considering the limitations and biases inherent in AI technologies. By seeking technical insights on various AI models, we aimed to identify tools that would enhance our narrative without compromising the authenticity and representation of marginalized voices.
The Utilization of Stable Diffusion
We aimed to create an installation that amplifies the voices of the colonized, allowing visitors to become storytellers and shift narratives. To achieve this, we integrated Stable Diffusion within TouchDesigner, enabling dynamic image generation that responds to user interactions in real time. This powerful combination facilitates personalized experiences, allowing visitors to see their contributions reflected instantly. By harnessing Stable Diffusion, we enhance the user experience while emphasizing the ephemerality of each interaction, creating a vibrant dialogue that evolves with every engagement.
Voices of Validation: Gathering Community Insights
We prioritized validation from the descendants of those from former Dutch colonies, recognizing their voices as essential to this dialogue. While researchers and artists provide valuable insights, we understood that academic analysis alone was insufficient. To engage these communities, we created a survey outlining our project and proposed artwork, offering twelve options for adjustments to better reflect historical realities, even though we could implement only eight changes.
The survey was widely distributed, with many participants sharing it in their communities. Responses highlighted feelings of underrepresentation in the exhibition, validating our concept and offering critical feedback. Participants suggested prompts to include, which we refined into essential keywords for effective AI interaction, such as “blood,” “wounds,” and “violence.”
Elevating User Experience Through Dynamic Interaction
We prioritized physical interaction based on our initial sketches, recognizing its potential to enhance user engagement. We opted for the KORG NANOKNTRL2 keyboard as a strategic design choice, coding the controllers for real-time prompt modification. Users can adjust sliders to manipulate prompt values for the image before them, allowing them to infuse the gruesome perspectives that the original image lacked. We housed the controller, enhancing its appeal and branded it with our project slogan, "A Walk Through the Past Through Future's Eyes," alongside a prompt legend for user clarity.
Final Build
Impactful Reactions: A Feedback Reflection
During a feedback session we held, we were proud of our project, which stood out from peers' work that focused more on exhibitions and less on political and cultural aspects. Feedback included:
Several white Europeans feelinguncomfortable using prompts to depict increased suffering.
Every person of color found it more realistic and impressive.
These reactions are typical and are academically known as “White defensiveness.” This term describes how white people often respond to discussions about racism and confronting depictions of colonial brutality (DiAngelo, 2015). These emotions were precisely what we aimed for. In an exhibition highlighting such a gruesome history, visitors should leave feeling impacted rather than neutral.
