Lilian Zhao

Becoming' recontextualizes a custom playable device as a living entity that responds to both interaction through an analog interface, and audiovisual stimuli detected from the surrounding environment. Using adaptive animations and ambient soundscapes, the piece creates a volatile space that evokes thoughts of transformation, control, and the interplay between the organic and the artificial. It tells the story of a machine grappling with fate and embraces human nature through the eyes of something artificial.

The machine's body consists of two interactive control panels with dials corresponding to core human drives and intangible perceptions of reality. The primary device is named after Descartes' famous quote, ‘Cogito ergo sum’ (‘I think, therefore I am’), inviting reflection on the nature of existence and the subjectivity of reality. The name of the secondary device is taken from the Latin phrase ‘Stratum Superstratum’ (‘layer upon layer’) in reference to an important alchemical concept: the gradual refinement of a substance through multiple stages of chemical manipulation. In the context of this work, it not only captures the theme of evolution but also reflects the functionality of the device itself. The secondary box must be plugged into the first to form a complete rendering through an additional layering process, effectively allowing the machine to "remember" the past.

It is through these mechanisms the machine attempts to express itself. The resulting visual arises through layers upon layers of blood red lines that coalesce into abstract shapes, each responding to both the surrounding environment and the viewer. The accompanying audio in turn consists primarily of layered machinery noise, contrasting with the occasional heartbeat.

When a viewer approaches the machine entity, it reacts to the detected increase in proximity with responses such as increased layering of generated audio, a quickening heartbeat, and transformation of the projected graphics. Up close, the viewer can interact with the machine's body and influence its perception of the world directly through a control panel of switches and dials. The machine also responds to organic sounds such as human voices in the surrounding environment, contrasting with the artificial sounds emitted by the machine itself. The entangled nature of this experience prompts the audience to draw connections between the machine's body and their own. It encourages examination of the nature of agency, raising questions about the relationship between our subjective sense of self and objective state of being.

The audiovisual displays are erratic and constantly changing, creating an intensive, ever-shifting space that challenges preconceptions of sentient life. The audience does not have total control over what is produced, guaranteeing a unique viewing experience meant to evoke questions regarding determinism, illusions of control, and the never-ending process of becoming who (or what) one is.

About the Artist

Lilian is an undergraduate student studying Computer Science and New Media Art at Purdue University. Their practice combines digital media and physical computing to explore agency, consciousness, and the interplay between the organic and the artificial in the age of intelligent machines. They utilize interactive mediums such as AR/VR, data-driven graphics, and responsive soundscapes to investigate metaphysical relationships between body and mind. Their work has been exhibited both locally within the Purdue community and internationally at the Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression.