'Modern Guru And The Path To Artificial Happiness" is a digital exhibition by Eness, a renowned art studio from Australia with over 21 international awards. In collaboration with Japan Anime Movie Thailand under Five Star Agency, Dream Express (DEX) and Eness, the digital exhibition is now on display at Iconsiam. At the exhibition, viewers can experience both interactive and immersive formats, blending creative artistry with integrated AI technology.
The characters -- Whispering Mountains, Forest Dancer, Sun God and Modern Guru -- were designed with charming and approachable personalities to encourage visitors to interact with them. In addition to the endearing characters and interactive elements that will bring a smile, soothing music at the exhibition creates a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.
The main character, Modern Guru, attracts viewers with its unique ability of making predictions with an impressive collection of 299 prophecies. To receive a prediction, viewers must show their phone to Modern Guru, which will then release a piece of paper from its mouth. These prophecies are often philosophical and require interpretation.
To gain further insight on the creative ideas behind the exhibition, Life interviewed Nimrod Weis, the founder of Eness, via email.
Sun God. Five Star Agency
One of the most significant projects created by Eness is Lumes, which is interactive art installed on the walls of a hospital in Australia. Where did the idea for Lumes come from and what was the feedback?
The architects on the Cabrini Hospital project saw the potential of utilising our medium to help create a more inviting space for sick children in the paediatric ward. Lumes became the solution because with it, we could add an element of surprise. Children loved the illusion we created by hiding the technology underneath the surface of the wall. So initially it seems as though you are walking past an ordinary wall, but then it suddenly animates. We worked with stakeholders through the process and prototyped it to ensure that the piece was appropriate for the hospital.
We received many reactions, but two emails in particular stayed with us. A couple of parents went out of their way to find us and thank us for the experience they had with their sick child who entered the hospital and was able to have fun, smile, laugh and be delighted during a really sad time.
With so many immersive art exhibitions, what makes 'Modern Guru And The Path To Artificial Happiness' unique?
We really think that the difference with this exhibition compared to other immersive art exhibitions is the human story at the heart. This exhibition seeks to open a discussion about paths to human happiness during significant technological changes occurring in the world currently, such as the major impact of social media and AI. We also don't use super high-end technology or complex executions to explain the ideas -- just fun, accessible notions that hopefully stimulate the audience to think about these issues.
Forest Dancer. Five Star Agency
Can you share the ideas behind the characters -- Sun God, Forest Dancer and Modern Guru -- in the exhibition?
The Sun God is a naïve deity at the top of a long flight of stairs. It takes effort to reach him and when visitors do, they can touch the screen as a sign of reaching their goal and recognising or worshiping his existence. When he is touched, symbols erupt from the interaction. The staircase that leads up to the Sun God is an extension of him -- his tongue. The idea of the Sun God's tongue as a staircase is a very intimate gesture -- it's very trusting to invite visitors onto your tongue. However, the Sun God's tongue is a metaphor about the importance of not taking the easy road to happiness. Forest Dancer is a symbol of creative freedom in the modern world. She twirls happily in the middle of the installation as a symbol of free-form happiness. She wears a dress of light that emphasises her form in space and celebrates the delight she feels dancing alone and uninhibited in the forest. Forest Dancer's skirt forms a protective roof over her beanbag friends who welcome you to relax under her care and soak in the pulsating light show.
Modern Guru is a translucent ovoid with four huge digital eyes, floating above a ceremonial ring of LEDs. From his mouth flow messages and in a statement about the true nature of lived experience, a new message is delivered when visitors take a photo of Modern Guru -- a missive produced only for those who seek to photograph life rather than live in the moment.
Modern Guru. Five Star Agency
As the names suggest, were the characters inspired by nature?
Spirituality is often aligned with nature and there are lot of spiritual themes in this exhibition. Technology is also infiltrating and affecting everything around us including the environment and human health in relation to our connection with nature, so it was a natural extension from the story we are telling and the ideas we are raising to reference and be inspired by nature.
How did you get the idea for the messages that come from the mouth of Modern Guru?
I found a receipt printer in Tokyo and thought that this could be something we could work with in a future piece. It is often the case that I am inspired by all sorts of gimmicks, gadgets, toys and household items. So, I will look at something like an electronic clock or solar-powered desk gadget or in this case a receipt machine -- things that are accessible to me -- and believe that it could be made into something else or form the basis of an artwork.
Sun God.
Since all of your works allow visitors to closely interact with them, are you concerned about potential damage?
It's actually very rare for us to have our sculptures damaged in a public space and we believe that this is because when you provide something with care, love and meaning, people are often a lot more considerate and tend to look after the work when they're interacting with it.
Do you prefer displaying your work in art galleries or public spaces?
We love exhibiting in galleries and it is very important to us to do so. However, public spaces are also a really beneficial and powerful forum for exhibiting work because the work speaks to everyday people who wouldn't normally go into a gallery. We feel that in this way we can make more of an impact in the public square because it's exposing everyone to art.
Forest Dancer.
What can audiences expect when visiting 'Modern Guru And The Path To Artificial Happiness' in Bangkok?
We are imagining that the work will appeal to young people because it is playful and engaging. We have created the work in a way that will delight and engage younger people and hopefully open their minds to art experiences moving forward. This is important to us because not every child likes to go to an art gallery or museum. We love the idea of a six- or nine-year-old who's inspired by the exhibition to pursue art or design because they really connected or engaged with what they saw.
"Modern Guru And The Path To Artificial Happiness" runs at Attraction Hall, 6th floor of Iconsiam, until Jan 5. Normal tickets cost 400 baht. Couple Tickets (2 adults) cost 700 baht. Couple Tickets (1 adult and 1 child under 120cm) cost 600 baht. VIP Packages (1 ticket, 1 premium or 1 fast track) cost 700 baht. Tickets for university students/senior citizens aged 60 and above/disabled individuals with official certificates/companions of disabled individuals cost 350 baht. Tickets are available at ticketmelon.com. For more information, visit Facebook: @ModernGuruAndThePathToArtificialHappiness.
Modern Guru.
Whispering Mountains.
Lost Forest.
