Amygdala is a generative art installation created by fuse that interprets the collective emotional condition of the internet. Named after the amygdala neural network within the human brain, the artwork scans through a large number of tweets on the internet. Then utilizing a rendition of the Sentiment Analysis algorithm and comparing the contents of the tweet to a database of words with attached emotional connotations to determine the emotional state exhibited by the tweet. Repeating this over the hundreds of tweets being sent in that instance the system then generates a light display based on its interpretation of these emotions. The display itself is composed of 41 luminous pillars arranged in a circle that displays its interpretation in the moment, as well as 12 horizontal screens that display the history of the various interpretations.

In making this artwork the artist is surrendering a great amount of control to the computer. Beyond setting up the lights and giving it the sound files, the artist leaves creating the visual and audio output entirely to the computer. Fuse has little idea or control over what the finished art piece looks like, instead allowing the computer to determine it. However, it’s also difficult to say that the computer is being entirely original in this case, as it’s not generating the image solely in it’s own head but instead pulling firstly from the contents of the tweets of a set pattern and secondly from a database in the algorithm and using its knowledge to visualize that. However, I’d say that this computers are just as original as humans are, as just as this computer is pulling information from what it observes from the tweets into the contents of the artwork, human artists base the contents of their artwork on their experience, surroundings, or knowledge. Neither of these entities are creating an image from nothing.

Link: https://www.fuseworks.it/en/works/amygdala/