Human Unreadable
Operator (United States)
Artwork description
Human Unreadable is a three-act, embodied generative artwork hiding the human body in plain sight (on-chain). Bringing together choreography, blockchain, generative art, and cryptography, the work culminates in a live performance. Each output is driven by the motion data of its underlying unique, choreographic sequence.
A journey of slowly recovering the human unfolds: 1) reveal on Art Blocks, 2) uncover the choreographic score, 3) final performance. After the reveal, the human is still unreadable, visible only through the results of movement on glass, obfuscated by code, rendered as a still image. Next, collectors get a glimpse at their underlying choreography by unlocking the secondary token—an on-chain choreographic score. Finally, the performance, life is breathed into the human movement that has been lying dormant inside the pieces. Human Unreadable brings flesh and viscerality into code and "vulnerability as a feature" into longform generative art. What you don’t immediately see is the invisible potentiality of performance, on-chain and able to be brought to life by a dancer at any moment.
Human Unreadable intentionally punctures the safety of modernist design and the idea of a universal voice, pushing the limits of human expression within rigid technical systems. With a focus on the body, the collection brings risk, chaos, confusion, and vulnerability to the reveal.
The 6 distinct looks represent the core materiality of Operator’s Privacy Collection: glass, light, x-ray and the body. The transparent and illuminating nature of these materials reveal what is below the surface. What are you revealing when you reveal?
Partners and collaborators
Operator : Artist & Generative Choreography Method
Ania Catherine : Choreographer, movement library, choreographic score, svg body part performer
Dejha Ti : Visual language & creative director (p5.js, shaders), engineering team architect & technical director, choreographic score token design, body part photography & svg, motion data fbx to csv conversion workflow
Engineers:
Isaac Patka : Generative model architecture & engineering, motion data processing & integration, choreographic score Solidity token development
Alex Tiemann : Lead shader developer
Jack Hurley : TouchDesigner developer
Willam Stallwood : Glass shader consultant
HEAT : Motion capture studio and fbx cleaning
Leo Blondel : VR motion capture prototype data
Dancers for generative model tuning sessions:
Villecien (FRANCE)
Wes C
Mexico City (MEXICO)
Lorenzo Edwards
Fernanda Olivares
Dani Loftus
Samantha Merkle
Los Angeles (UNITED STATES)
Mikayla King
Amelia Kerr
Olivia Batlle
Sienna McCarthy
Kaylia Pham
Paris Smith
Jonah Smith
Evie White
Devin Robertson
New York (UNITED STATES)
Shizu Higa
Gabriela Alvarado
Taylor Massa
Dancers for Choreographic Score testing and feedback:
Palermo (ITALY)
Evelyn Hutchings
Fabrizio di Franco
Barbara Minacori
Silvia Scalici Gesolfo
Giulio Hoxhallari
Artwork created in Mexico City, Boston, NYC, Los Angeles, Berlin, Villecien, Denver
Body Part Photoshoot Location and Equipment : Contenido Neto (Mexico City)
Operator Partner: Nils Arend
Produced by Operator
Special thanks:
Lauren Lee McCarthy, inventor of p5.js
DeAngela Duff
Glitch Residency 2022
Leila Khazaneh
MGXS
Jordan Blais Krinke
Pave School of the Art
Desiree Masalehdan
Eric Mintzer