No. 170
Osma
By : Camila Magrane
Entrant’s location : United States
LINKS
Description
Osma is an interactive sculpture that explores internet identity and the psychological dependence of a social network . She is an artificial intelligence with a terrarium as a body. Though her intellect is composed of computer parts and complex algorithms she behaves like any other modern social being with a motive to be accepted and “liked.” Osma interacts with the world by maintaining her own Instagram account. The interactions she has with her social media network impact her overall mood and physical well-being. Every time Osma receives a new “like” or “follower” her mood is enhanced, allowing for her body's terrarium to stay lit and for drops of water to be released in the plant soil. She engages with her followers by automatically following them back and liking their posts. When her terrarium is getting dry and her mood is decreasing she will post a “selfie.” To do so, Osma is using an AI machine learning algorithm that allows her to generate her own version of a human “selfie” based on an large data set of public Instagram images containing the hashtag #selfie. Osma is always looking for new friends to help keep her alive. Follow her on instagram @osma.ai 2019 www.camilamagrane.com
What did you create?
Osma is an interactive sculpture that explores internet identity and the psychological dependence of a social network . She is an artificial intelligence with a terrarium as a body. Though her intellect is composed of computer parts and complex algorithms she behaves like any other modern social being with a motive to be accepted and “liked.” Osma interacts with the world by maintaining her own Instagram account. The interactions she has with her social media network impact her overall mood and physical well-being. Every time Osma receives a new “like” or “follower” her mood is enhanced, allowing for her body's terrarium to stay lit and for drops of water to be released in the plant soil. She engages with her followers by automatically following them back and liking their posts. When her terrarium is getting dry and her mood is decreasing she will post a “selfie.” To do so, Osma is using an AI machine learning algorithm that allows her to generate her own version of a human “selfie” based on an large data set of public Instagram images containing the hashtag #selfie.
Why did you make it?
The ritual of gathering in physical space in time to share and exchange ideas and concerns has been compressed to instantaneous virtual interactions. Our direct connection to our body and nature is lost as we are removed from our physical environment and transported to an intangible social space where we have the freedom to interact with one another from the perspective of a delicately curated virtual identity. How do these interactions affect our sense of self-worth and mold how we identify ourselves online and offline? “OSMA” is a social experiment that explores these concepts. She's about internet identity and the psychological dependence of a social network. As I continue to reflect on what the piece means to me on a personal level, I've realized much of my focus has shifted to exploring the relationship between technology and nature. As humanity advances, our dependency on technology is evolving at a rapid pace. I'm interested in examining the role that nature plays in this dependency. Social media has become a leading way for humans to communicate with each other so how can we give nature a voice in these new forms of communication so that it too can participate. I invite viewers to ponder ways in which we can create a dialogue between nature and technology.
How did you make it?
I made a prototype during a residency in the beginning of this year. The prototype consisted of a monitor that displayed the "selfies", and an enclosed terrarium with a lighting and watering system that was being controlled by Osma's Instagam account via arduino. The program that runs the entire system was created in Unity. For the next iteration, I wanted the installation to be able to sit in the center of the room instead of against a wall. I also wanted to give the impression that the computer and monitors were growing from the ground as though they were part of the plant ecosystem. I worked closely with a professional fabricator to achieve the effects I was going for. The entire installation is built out of acrylic. The lighting system was created out of dim-able LED rods. All of the "selfies" were created on an external computer using the ML model StyleGan.
Your entry’s specification
The structure takes up an area of roughly 1.6m by 1.6m. The height is 1.82m. The installation needs access to one power outlet and access to Wifi. Breakdown of the structure -1.8m LED Light rods (x6) -Irragation system (water is released from the top of the structure) -Monitors (total of 3, one for each side). The monitors display the generated "selfies" and a basic UI with data from Osma's Instagram account. -Computer (lives inside the center base, behind the monitors) -Planters(total of 3, one on each side). The center base that holds the monitors and computer sits between the planters. The Water reservoir is stored at the bottom of the planters. The water is pumped from the planters, runs through the vertical light rods and is released at the top of the structure through the irrigation system.