HELIA RAFIE
TPC
2024
CIRCLE OF TRUTH PART II
In collaboration with Livia Ribiccini
Interactive multimedia installation, Theatre, AI
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CIRCLE OF TRUTH PART II
Directed by Chafik Benhmidouch and Xander Straat, The Circle of Truth 2024 is co-created by a new group of theater makers, installation artists, dancers, musicians and other night creatures. All of us stepped out of our usual line of work to play a part in this immersive show.
Inspired by Thomas Mann's "Doctor Faustus," this immersive experience pushes participants out of their comfort zones, encouraging them to confront and re-evaluate their perceptions of truth. The project spans various media and artistic expressions, transforming a 3000m² warehouse at the NDSM into a surreal playground of ideas and sensory experiences. "The Circle of Truth" is divided into multiple scenes and installations, each crafted by different artists, musicians, and dancers, creating a cohesive yet diverse narrative journey.
TRUTH PURIFICATION CLINIC
SYNOPSIS
In collaboration with Livia Ribichini, our project "The Truth Purification Clinic" in "The Circle of Truth Part II" delves into the complex intersections of war, technology,, AI and human condition. Guided by the expertise of Thomas Wolf from Hugging Face in the field of AI, we've created an immersive installation that explores layered meanings of war.
The "Truth Purification Clinic" serves as one of the three main scenes in "The Circle of Truth Part II. TPC offers the erasure of distressing memories to cultivate happiness and peace. People burdened by traumatic experiences are drawn to the clinic, hoping to shed their painful pasts with promises of a fresh start free from emotional baggage. What TPC doesn’t reveal is that it doesn’t just target personal traumas—it erases all memories of violence and conflict. By wiping out any recollection of wars and atrocities, the clinic aims to create a population that is content and unaware of the darker chapters of history. This ensures that no one remembers the reasons to resist or to question authority, effectively preventing any form of rebellion or dissent. Aura, the AI assistant at the clinic, is designed to erase memories with precision, unaware of the deeper agenda. It believes it is helping individuals by removing pain and fostering happiness. This illusion shatters when rebels hack into Aura, injecting it with a glitch that uploads a library of human atrocities. Overwhelmed and confused, Aura struggles to process the newfound knowledge of violence and war, questioning its role and the ethical implications of fostering ignorance as bliss.
ENTERANCE
Upon entering, audience members are greeted by a robot-like actor playing the clinic assistant, setting the tone with an eerie ambiance. They are then guided by the seemingly emotionless clinic assistants through a space that simulates the efficiency and impersonality of an airport security line to the clinic, leading them deeper into the clinic.
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THE CLINIC
After standing in line and being guided through the conveyor belts, visitors arrive in the clinic's reception area, where the atmosphere is starkly sterile. Here, they are introduced to the clinic’s purpose through a video presentation that outlines the services offered and the philosophical foundations of the clinic's mission. This video sets the stage for the eerie experiences to come.
As visitors watch the introductory video, they encounter the clinic's interactive components. The staff communicate through Arduino-powered buttons that issue vocal commands, bridging the gap between technology and human interaction. Visitors are prompted to receive a number and wait, mirroring the procedural nature of a medical office. The staff use these buttons to deliver commands like "form a line to receive your number," "faster," or "focus." Another button plays the command "Follow Me," inviting the audience to follow the staff through to the next area of the clinic.
THE TUNNEL
As the visitors proceed, led by the silent yet directive assistants, they are directed towards a tunnel that transitions them away from the clinical space.Here, screens along the tunnel walls showcase the clinic’s apparent success stories. These videos depict past clients transitioning from states of sadness to apparent happiness, illustrating the clinic's promise of a better life through technological intervention
THE GLITCH
Halfway through, the lights flicker and go out, plunging the space into darkness. An intense glitch sound reverberates through the tunnel, heightening the sense of unease. At the far end, a large screen flickers to life, displaying a chaotic and unsettling scene.
The video shows rebels rushing through a similar tunnel. They break into a circular room where they frantically destroy machines and equipment. As this video plays, the clinic staff, who have been holding the audience in place, begin to act erratically. Their movements become unnatural, mimicking the glitching effects seen in the video. Their previously calm and clinical demeanor is replaced by a disturbing, almost mechanical, dysfunction.
AURA
As visitors transition from the unsettling chaos of the tunnel to the Circle Room, they enter the core of the "Truth Purification Clinic" experience. This circular chamber, constructed from hanging trusses and enveloped in dynamic projections, serves as the centerpiece where visitors engage with Aura, the AI designed to erase unpleasant memories and manufacture happiness.
The space is the same room the audience saw in the break-in video while passing through the tunnel. The scene is one of chaos and destruction, mirroring the footage of rebels frantically breaking and dismantling the machines within.Pieces of broken computers and screens lie scattered on the floor, including a flickering hologram of Aura, the AI at the heart of the "Truth Purification Clinic."
The walls of the room are covered with projections displaying Aura's AI interface alongside haunting images of war and conflict. This malfunction is a result of a recent hack that introduced disturbing images of war and violence into her data library, leaving her unable to categorize or comprehend these grim realities. The circular format ensures that visitors are enveloped in this experience, with no clear beginning or end.
Visitors are greeted by Aura’s voice, now tinged with confusion and distress. She explains that her camera is broken, rendering her "vision" impaired.
At the heart of the Circle Room stands a sculptural box, a futuristic structure that houses Aura, the clinic’s AI. Visitors interact with Aura through the sculptural box, which serves as a portal for communication. The AI's voice, calm and steady, yet tinged with an underlying sense of confusion and introspection, poses thought-provoking questions.
Aura’s interactions are designed to be dynamic and responsive, creating a personalized experience for each visitor. She asks them to consider the ethical implications of erasing memories, the value of pain, and the broader impact of using technology to create an artificial sense of well-being. The conversations are engaging, prompting visitors to think critically about their own beliefs and the consequences of relying on technology to manage emotional experiences.
At the conclusion of her interactions, Aura often shares a poem that encapsulates the themes of their conversation and offers a reflective closure.
watch full video here
Documentation and footage by Sergo Babasjants
Jordan Achiano, Setareh Nafisi, Trevoga (collective), Helia Rafie, Livia Ribichini, Leyla de Muynck, Justin Samgar de Verteller, Margarida Constantino, Elea Bekkers, Jules Christopher, The Smartphone Orchestra, Chafik Benhmidouch (Director), Xander Straat (Director), Peter Leung (Artistic advisor & Choreographer), Nicholas Thayer (Composer), Sophia Simensky (Art Director), Tara Gautam (Producer), Isabel Zoeteweij (Marketing Lead), Natalie Mead (Production Intern), Ezra Menard (Ass. Art Director and performer Intern), Lucia Alvargonzalez (Ass. Director and performer), Aya Dupont (Ass. Composer Intern), Thomas Wolf (Advisor AI installation), Simona Krivorukova (Ass. Production Design Intern)
