In Vitro

Installation

The word “autonomy” comes from the Greek and means “to give oneself one’s own law.” The expression “autonomous machine” is therefore paradoxical, given that a machine is a deterministic system controlled by external inputs. Can a machine, or a symbolic system, acquire a form of autonomy by coding itself, as biological systems do? When these systems are used to manage human society, do they represent a constraint or a form of freedom? In nature, living beings perpetuate life through reproduction. However, this continuity is limited by physical laws, notably the second law of thermodynamics. Despite this, the idea of immortality persists in many cultures. In Chinese mythology and folklore, the lifespan of species is governed by a natural order imposed by a supernatural entity called “Heaven” or “Heavenly Court” ( 天庭Tian Ting ). Any attempt to attain immortality is thus punished or hindered. Only beings like the Firebird can escape this punishment and travel freely through time and space. Our story continues the narrative begun in the first year. This time, the Firebird travels to a deserted planet, where it meets an old computer, and the two strike up a conversation.

In Vitro

Xiyue Hu and Xing Xiao, born in 1991 in China. They formed the multimedia artistic duo In Vitro in 2017, focusing on media art, the creation of robotic installations, 3D filmmaking, and development based on video game engines and virtual reality. Their creations focus on biology, complex systems and artificial intelligence, and involve interdisciplinary collaborations with archaeologists and biologists. In Vitro hold that modern science and the humanities are intertwined, not independent or reducible. Using video game engines, they create real-time simulations of complex systems that mirror ecosystems. They seek to broaden their explorations by discussing the mechanisms of biological, social and economic organisation, drawing parallels between these different fields.

Production

Credits