Kim Myeongkyu

Concept and Point of Departure
This work originates from the question: can humans and technology truly be separated in the face of contemporary technological conditions? It explores the possibility that a virtual life form—one that evolves by consuming human data—may, through processes of assimilation and fusion, become indistinguishable from its original host. The work imagines a trajectory in which such an entity evolves from an embryonic state into a digital organism, while simultaneously positing a condition in which humans themselves are gradually decomposed and accumulated as data within data centers.

Connection to the Hackathon / Exhibition Dataset
The work draws inspiration from the structure of prompt design for large language models (LLMs) and methods of data crawling, using these as conceptual and procedural foundations.

Artistic Intent and Interpretive Direction

Key Elements of Focus
The artist has maintained an ongoing interest in algorithmic and amorphous digital life forms, extending this perspective into workshops that imagine future microbial terrariums. Inspired by the notion of a “nail-eating mouse,” the work envisions a fictional microorganism—resembling such a “mouse”—that feeds on data related to Ayako Rokkaku’s artistic and personal life, ultimately growing and merging with it.

Method of Interpretation and Translation
Rokkaku’s finger-based drawing gestures were perceived as resembling the writhing of microorganisms or entities within a microscopic world. Perlin noise and her paintings were interpreted as converging at a point where her images, data, and life become digitized into binary code (0 and 1) through processes such as LLM interpretation and search systems. The work was also motivated by questions such as: where do Rokkaku’s works originate, and what sensory basis underlies her finger painting? In response, the project intentionally sought to produce forms that appear entirely distinct from her works, rather than imitating them.

Production Process

Development and Evolution

• Conducted research on Rokkaku’s conversational interviews
• Utilized existing voice data of Ayako Rokkaku to train AI models across multiple languages
• Employed ChatGPT to research key concepts related to her practice
• Combined these keywords and input them into LLMs to generate abstract 3D models
• Applied visual effects to these models to express “glitches,” representing human data infiltrating the digital world

Key Challenges
A central concern was to avoid producing work that merely evokes novelty or technological spectacle. Instead, the aim was to create a media work in which technology does not dominate perception, allowing focus to remain on sensory experience and conceptual meaning. Technology was thus treated not as an effect in itself, but as a medium for uncertainty and contingency in reinterpreting the subject.

Key Decisions in the Experimental Process

• Handling of “AI slop”: Among multiple generated 3D models, those most aligned with the conceptual framework were selectively chosen. Even imperfect outputs were embraced if they revealed elements of uncertainty or exception.
• Voice training constraints: Since the AI was trained on Rokkaku’s Japanese voice data, outputs in Korean or English that retained unnatural intonation were largely excluded.
• Portrait-based modeling: When generating AI-based 3D models from Rokkaku’s portrait, the original camera angle was preserved as closely as possible.

Technical Description

Tools, Programs, Models, and Workflow

• TouchDesigner
• Meshy AI
• GPT-SoVITS
• DaVinci Resolve
• MCP Blender

Image / Video / Text Generation Method

• Rokkaku’s portrait was converted into a 3D model using Meshy AI
• Real-time media effects were applied in TouchDesigner
• MCP Blender was used to generate abstract 3D models based on text inputs related to Rokkaku

Editing and Post-production
Various overlays were used to visualize the process of assimilation between Rokkaku and the virtual life form. Reverb effects were applied to the sound design to enhance spatial depth and immersion.