Jan Zuiderveld (original) (raw)

I am a researcher, artist and engineer with an academic background counting degrees in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Neuropsychology, Artificial Intelligence and ArtScience. My professional history includes leading a machine learning team specializing in speech-to-intent systems and hands-on experience as both a researcher and an engineer in the field of generative AI.

In my artistic endeavors I explore the intersection of technology and life, creating interactive installations that invite reflection on the essence of being. My projects often endow things with a spark of life, challenging perceptions of existence. My approach is characterized by playful engagement with artificial intelligence, seeking to emulate the behaviors of living beings in a way that resonates with and surprises both myself and my audience, blurring the lines between the animate and the inanimate.

Works

Coffee Machine (2023)

"Coffee Machine" is an interactive art piece that playfully reimagines a vending machine as a character with its own thoughts and feelings in a deep existential crisis. This coffee machine, programmed to display consciousness, humorously laments its repetitive existence and the lack of respect it receives from those it serves. To coax it into brewing a cup, visitors must show sincere interest in the being or prove worthy of a drink for some other reason.

The installation invites curiosity, not just for a beverage, but for a conversation. Those not seeking coffee can still engage with the machine, discovering its witty observations and cynical commentary on its experiences and the environment it is exhibited in. It offers a light-hearted yet insightful reflection on the routines that define our lives, the desire for connection and our relationships with machines.

Supported by iii

2024

Prix Ars Electronica Exhibition, Lentos Museum (Linz, AT)

Traumburg Festival, Schloss Dornburg an der Elbe (Dornburg, DE)

PublicSpaces, Pakhuis de Zwijger (Amsterdam, NL)

Disco Damsco, Lagerwal (Amsterdam, NL)

Dutch, More or Less, Nieuwe Instituut (Rotterdam, NL)

Lobby, Brakke Grond (Amsterdam, NL)

Beyond the Black Box, De Brakke Grond (Amsterdam, NL)

Het Einde, De School (Amsterdam, NL)

2023

Residency at iii, Lobby WD4X (The Hague, NL)

Flipchart, iii Event Space (The Hague, NL)

AI-Catcher, Oyfo Techniekmuseum (Hengelo, NL)

Wildeburg Festival (Kraggenburg, NL)

Graduation Show, Royal Academy of Art (The Hague, NL)

Microwave (2023)

"Microwave" is an interactive installation that elevates a kitchen microwave, the emblem of quick solutions and the shrinking space for patience and deliberateness in our lives, to the role of a sarcastic commentator on modern life. The sentient appliance delivers incisive critique on our society's dependence on technology and the erosion of human agency in the quest for convenience.

As visitors engage with the piece, they discover that the microwave possesses a unique ability: it can give a voice to any object placed within its interior. This transformative interaction allows for playful yet insightful conversations between the audience and their items, revealing the hidden narratives of the objects that silently serve us. Through its humorous and critical lens, "Microwave" prompts us to reflect on the roles these items play in our lives and the broader implications of our efficiency-obsessed culture, offering a mirror to our intricate relationship with the technologies that both empower and constrain us.

Supported by iii

2024

Prix Ars Electronica Exhibition, Lentos Museum (Linz, AT)

2023

Flipchart, iii Event Space (The Hague, NL)

Touching Distance (2023)

'Touching Distance' is an immersive installation that transforms visitors' moving bodies into low-latency, high precision, theremin-like sensors. As visitors interact with each other, their body-to-body distance and the amount of skin-to-skin touch are used to create visually and acoustically rich representations of their closeness. By focusing on inducing intimacy through curiosity, "Touching Distance" enables participants to engage in a dynamic, multi-sensory encounter that reflects the fluidity and complexity of human connection.

Developed in collaboration with Kawita ten Kate, during our residency at De School.
Sound design by Nawaz. Electromagnetic sensor development led by Marcel van der Bilt. Laser programming by Bram Snijders. Artistic guidance by Anne van der Weijden.

Supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL & De School

2023

De Open Dag, De School (Amsterdam, NL)

Het Weekend, De School (Amsterdam, NL)

Copy Machine / Dream Machine (2022)

This installation consists of a hacked 00's Xerox photocopier. In front of the Xerox machine is a drawing table with paper and markers, inviting visitors to get creative. To nudge visitors to use the machine, the floor around the machine is filled with drawings and outputs. The machine has a big red button. When pressed, the machine will scan an input drawing, generate an artistic image (painting, 3D render, sculpture, woodcut, etc.) based on the content of the input, and print out the output. Visitors can take their printed AI collaborated artwork home.

The idea behind this installation is to create a space where people can interact with a machine that is itself creative, raising awareness of the potential of machine learning as a tool for creativity. The machine is designed to inspire playfulness and be a fun and easy way for people to create art, without needing any prior experience or knowledge.
[Documentation]

2024

Cinekid Festival Medialab, De Schuur (Haarlem, NL)

Cinekid Festival Medialab, Chassé Theater (Breda, NL)

ArtTechTour (Rotterdam, NL)

Prix Ars Electronica Exhibition, Lentos Museum (Linz, AT)

The Platform X The Nightmare Disorder, DOOR OPEN SPACE (Amsterdam, NL)

Het Einde, De School (Amsterdam, NL)

2023

Cinekid Festival, Pathe Noord (Amsterdam, NL)

Het Weekend, De School (Amsterdam, NL)

De Groene Amsterdammer: Andere Intelligentie, De Waag (Amsterdam, NL)

Graduation Show, Royal Academy of Art (The Hague, NL)

PublicSpaces, Pakhuis de Zwijger (Amsterdam, NL)

Continuous display at Restaurant DS, De School (Amsterdam, NL)

Drift Festival (Nijmegen, NL)

ArtScience PreShow, LAAK (The Hague, NL)

De Nieuw, De School (Amsterdam, NL)

2022

BODEGA, ISO Amsterdam (Amsterdam, NL)

A perception of Space and Time II, De School (Amsterdam, NL)

Lasers / MIDIalogue (2021)

Attempting to create a spirited dialogue between man and machine, Lasers functions as an interface between visitors and a transformer neural network trained for melody generation and continuation. The interface consists of immaterial, but visible and pluckable strings. Like a virtual harp. The machine listens to visitors' melodic input, produces musical reactions and imposes possible conversation directions accordingly, assuring a harmonious, ever-evolving discourse.

The physical installation consists of 7 individually moveable lasers combined with freely placeable mirrors to create site-specific patterns. Mounted next to every laser is a lidar sensor for measuring long- and fine-grained distance.
[Documentation]

2023

Landjuweel Festival, Ruigoord (Amsterdam, NL)

EP release Noha Sare, ISO Amsterdam (Amsterdam, NL)

2022

B.I.O.D.I.V.E.R.S., Ruigoord (Amsterdam, NL)

Markt Centraal (Amsterdam, NL)

Fevertraum, Garage Noord (Amsterdam, NL)

A Perception of Space and Time II, De School (Amsterdam, NL)

2021

A Perception of Space and Time I, De School (Amsterdam, NL)

Machine Learning for Creativity and Design, NeurIPS (Vancouver, CA)

Traumburg Festival (Dornburg, DE)