Visual content : Visual System
Music : Thomas Vaquié
Producer : Visual System / Atomium
The Out of Control installation explores the question of Singularity: the inevitable rise of the Super Machine - longed-for or feared - which, according to some theorists, should occur around 2030, i.e. in the blink of an eye. While the emergence of the first Artificial Intelligence remains a sci-fi theme, the nature and associated risks of such technology has long been a topic of reflection for authors. As early as 1946, Murray Leinster’s novel, “A Logic Named Joe”, imagined the excesses of a hypothetical global computer network capable of attaining a pseudo-conscience. The stronger the machine, the more worrying its malfunctioning may be. “Out of Control” deals with this issue from the inside, not from the human but from the machine’s point of view, portraying the inner conflict of a faulty artificial system which suffers an external attack, unaware of what or why this has happened. The nature and history of the Atomium make it the ideal location for this installation. The site embodies the Golden Age of sci-fi, when questions first arose regarding the relationship between humankind and conscious machines (Asimov and its three laws of robotics). The Atomium was built during a time period which saw the future both as a promise of advancement and as a source of concern. The era of the atom, of course, but also that of telematics, very high speed trains, and supersonic aircrafts. Opportunities were being discerned. Fifty years later, the questions remain. By welcoming the Out of Control lost machine, the Atomium reminds us that technology never stops questioning humankind about its nature.
Out of Control soundtrack :
About The Music :
The music of Out Of control is strongly inspired by the first part of the movie AI directed by Steven Spielberg, and especially by the character of the robot child. I wanted a child's voice to tell Stephane Beauverger Short Novel. A neither too robotic nor too human voice, to cause an imperceptible disturbance. I wanted this voice to be carried by a benevolent elevator music made of Jazz and Classical sounds that gradually becomes unstable and dangerous. Originally mixed for 18 audio channels, the music was composed of three parts, each one separately broadcasted in a different space (escalator, first floor, second floor). This stereo mix above is a synthesis bringing together the original three experiences.
