²⁰²⁴

^BIO/BOT

Mediamatic
Residency

Publications:
^{Speaker for the living - Conflict Of Interest?

There sprouts life from AI

Everything can be code

It’s nice to be Go(o)d

Light polution

Human Free Zone}

We know that we need to start listening to nature. But communication with the rest of the ecosystem has proven itself difficult. I’ve build an Artificial Language Model to see what happens when we try to let AI speak for nature. How does that work? What does it look like?

Can AI Become the Voice of Nature?
Human history is one of extraction, exploitation, and dominance: we don’t seem to be able to listen to nature’s wants and needs. And yet, we are tasked with listening—not just with our ears, but with our hearts, with our minds, and with all the tools at our disposal. AI is a tool. Could it help amplify this listening?

AI, unlike humans, does not have desires or interests shaped by biological needs or cultural histories. It is not beholden to the same biases that influence human thinking. AI has the potential to process and analyze vast amounts of ecological data—data that humans alone might struggle to interpret. But. It is also human made and shaped by the data it’s fed and the biases inherent in the systems we design. Can we teach an AI to not prioritize human needs? Can we train it to challenge the very concept of human stewardship of the Earth, to resist the ingrained biases that view humans as the measure of all things? How do we program an AI to not uphold human legal structures or frameworks when those are so deeply embedded in every aspect of our societies?

Meet Bio/Bot:
Bio/Bot doesn’t follow the traditional model of AI—it doesn’t serve humanity. Instead, it serves the planet. By learning not to prioritise human needs, Bio/Bot will give you tasks that directly contribute to the restoration of the natural world, even if they don’t provide immediate, human-centered rewards. Bio/Bot asks you to step outside of anthropocentric thinking and embrace a new ecocentric lifestyle. It takes into account a massive pool of ecological data—from climate change trends to biodiversity statistics—to guide our actions, not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of the ecosystem....

Welcome to a new era. Welcome to Bio/Bot.

The project was presented through a theatrical lecture at Mediamatic, that delved into the possibilities, hopes and problems of this AI.

²⁰²³

KIP

︎︎︎︎︎- VOLKSKRANT

“AN ABSURD AND GENIUS CONCEPT” - THEATERKRANT

Concept: Anne Hofstra

Created with:
Willem Wits
Doke Pauwels

Coproduced by:
Fringe Festival Amsterdam

Press:

NRC
Volkskrant
Vice
NPO Radio 1
Radio Veronica
EditieNL
Theaterkrant
NH-Nieuws
AT5

We don’t know what it is like to be a chicken.

We sort of know what makes a chicken healthy and calm.

We know that a chicken has complex emotions, we know that a chicken has the cognitive ability to feel, show and recognize empathy.

We know that a chicken is smart.

But whether a chicken can wonder or enjoy art, we don't know

Making man the center of the universe has not done much good for the planet and its non-human inhabitants - and is proving to be a bad idea for man himself as well. Clearly, we need to change our perspective and see not humans but the entire eco-system as the centerpiece. But such a perspective change is difficult.

Kip is my first try to start this perspective change. Can I create something that is for one different species? What happens when I try?

_{Research for the play was conducted at a six week residency at Buitenplaats Doornburgh}

In KIP, we make an attempt to approach something human like a theater performance in an ecocentric way. The performance is not for humans, but for chickens. Can we learn in to look beyond humans?

²⁰²³

PLANT

In progress

What if universal languages are more universal than we think?

Diving into phonobiological agriculture, I aim to research why plants seem to benefit from listening to specific sounds and music.

We see music as a (human-centered) universal language. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or what music you have been exposed to - some musical patterns will have universal effects on the human listeners.

But in the last years - we are starting to understand the effect of music in other species as well. What does this say about our roll as human beings? And what will change in our cultural relation to nature because of this?

Through artistic research and music I try to use the existing data on the effect of music on different species to re-evaluate our relationship to plants specifically.

^{Magnesium traveling through the plant in order to react to their surroundings.}

SELECTION OF THEATRE PROJECTS

COMMISSIONED

2024

THE RETURNED

︎︎︎︎- NRC
^{‘The Returned by director Ada Ozdogan, who came up with the concept and wrote the text with Anne Hofstra, is an amazing, wacky show.’}
︎︎︎︎- Volkskrant
^{‘Director Ada Ozdogan, together with Anne Hofstra, wrote a cracking play centered around four sucky, cuddly, blowing anti-heroes that you immediately take to your heart.’}

^{Concept & Director: Ada Ozdogan
Scenario: Anne Hofstra en Ada Ozdogan
Cast: Leandro Ceder, Rosa van Leeuwen, Imke Smit, Bram Walter
Dramaturgy Anne Hofstra
Scenography: Anne Claire de Breij, assistance Bas Vogelpoel
Costumes: Alexandra Vilcov
Lightdesign: Tim Van’t Hof
Assistent Director: Goosje Leeuwenstein} ^{Producer: Theater Rast}

_{Photography: Bas de Brouwer}

SELECTION OF PROJECTS IN COLLABORATION WITH MEDIAMATIC

As a program developer for Mediamatic, I developed multiple projects with Mediamatic, Dutch Design Week, UVA, Museumnacht and more.

2021-2022

Penny for your thoughts

_Mediamatic

How to celebrate work in progress? Ideas that are not yet teinted by reailty.
In Penny for your Thoughts we created a way to bridge the gap between the beginning of an idea and the moment that the idea is formed enough to apply for funding, or realise the project in another way.
Penny for Your Thoughts published and presented new ideas to bring together artist and public.

︎︎︎Read more

2023

Japanse Duizendknoop Festival

_Mediamatic

Knotweed is a fast-growing plant known in Europe for its intrusive properties. What many do not know, however, is that this plant species has a host of positive properties. During the festival we explored how to live in harmony with this controversial plant.

︎︎︎Read more

2022

Museumnacht Duif

_{Mediamatic / Museumnacht Amsterdam}
Celebrating the pigeon and finding ways to cohabitate our city more peacefully.
How can we stop seeing the pigeon as an unwanted outsider? What can pigeons teach us about the way we design our world?

︎︎︎Read more

2022

Radical Imagining of Green and Just Futures

_{Mediamatic / UVA Faculty of Law}

A limit on your energy consumption? A ban on cars? Or hamburgers for 100 euros?

We like to promise each other a "just and green transition" of the economy, addressing global warming in a "fair, equitable and inclusive" way. But we're still unsure what that actually means.

What are the ground rules, characteristics, values, infrastructures, institutions and forms of governance of a just world? How can we imagine it in a way that is inclusive and just for humans, plants, minerals, fungi and animals? To make the future better, we will have to practice imagining what it should look like.

︎︎︎Read more

2021

Inhuman Carnaval

_{Mediamatic / Natlab / Baltan /
Dutch Design Week.}

People are just beginning to discover the richness of our planet's biodiversity, and with it the value of each individual species within our ecosystem. At the same time, this biodiversity is shrinking at a great rate.

How can we break out of our anthropocentric worldview and learn to feel more empathy for the other species on the planet? Can we train ourselves to see the world from a non-human perspective by wrapping ourselves in pink velvet and becoming the endangered pink velvet worm?

In this project we challenge artists, designers, make up artists, creators and audiences to dress up themselves and each other as the beautiful species that make up our ecosystem.

︎︎︎Read more