Fraunhofer Annual ConventIon 2019

The annual convention of the Fraunhofer society, one of the largest german research societies, was involved with “cognitive systems” in 2018. This specialist area also includes the topic of artificial intelligence, which was to be integrated into the evening event and staging. The concept put forward by onliveline envisaged a playful visualisation that both questions and stimulates discussions. This task was designed to realise “Explora” – an interactive personification of artificial intelligence.

A transparent nylon thread sculpture throughout the building served as a projection surface and enabled “Explora” to appear. As a virtual co-presenter, “Explora” provided guidance through the evening, interacted with the stage and the public, presented her research and thoughts – and developed further over the course of the event. Scenes revealed her learning capacity, as she began to design and take over parts of the presentation, before finally cooperating in a visionary manner with the human presenter. Projections, lasers, 3D installations and the development of a visual landscape served as media support to present “Explora” and to set the stage dramatically for visions, possibilities and concerns surrounding artificial intelligence.