Installation view from the group exhibition titled “Simulation/Reality” at Fourteenfifteen Gallery, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
excerpt from “new missing ‘standards’ of mass! streaming additions”
2020
single channel video installation
1hr 19m 29s looping
new missing ‘standards’ of mass! streaming additions explores the intricate relationships between humans and technology, focusing on the influence of algorithmic models—such as machine learning, recurrent neural networks, predictive personalization models, and natural language processing. These complex, often invisible systems continuously process vast datasets, learning patterns to predict and produce new information that shapes much of our digital interactions. From platforms like Facebook, Spotify, and Netflix to the headlines and images that populate our social feeds, these algorithms subtly yet profoundly impact our daily tasks, thoughts, and decisions.
For this project, travis employs an extensive dataset of 3.08 million internet journalism headlines, written by over 21,000 authors between 2010 and 2015. This dataset feeds an algorithm that, in turn, generates a new “headline” interpretation—a chaotic, fragmented mixture of words and phrases mirroring the overwhelming flow of information we encounter daily. Inspired by the imperfections inherent in emerging technologies, the project evokes a sense of “computational poetry,” reflecting AI’s limitations and the surreal outcomes of its attempts to emulate human communication.
As machine learning and artificial intelligence become increasingly embedded in the technologies that shape our daily lives, new missing ‘standards’ of mass! streaming additions serves as both a critique and a contemplation of human agency, dependency, and digital literacy within the realm of autonomous, invisible technologies. The work invites viewers to reflect on their evolving relationship with these technologies and the implications of AI’s expanding role in shaping human thought and interaction.
single channel video installation
1hr 19m 29s looping
new missing ‘standards’ of mass! streaming additions explores the intricate relationships between humans and technology, focusing on the influence of algorithmic models—such as machine learning, recurrent neural networks, predictive personalization models, and natural language processing. These complex, often invisible systems continuously process vast datasets, learning patterns to predict and produce new information that shapes much of our digital interactions. From platforms like Facebook, Spotify, and Netflix to the headlines and images that populate our social feeds, these algorithms subtly yet profoundly impact our daily tasks, thoughts, and decisions.
For this project, travis employs an extensive dataset of 3.08 million internet journalism headlines, written by over 21,000 authors between 2010 and 2015. This dataset feeds an algorithm that, in turn, generates a new “headline” interpretation—a chaotic, fragmented mixture of words and phrases mirroring the overwhelming flow of information we encounter daily. Inspired by the imperfections inherent in emerging technologies, the project evokes a sense of “computational poetry,” reflecting AI’s limitations and the surreal outcomes of its attempts to emulate human communication.
As machine learning and artificial intelligence become increasingly embedded in the technologies that shape our daily lives, new missing ‘standards’ of mass! streaming additions serves as both a critique and a contemplation of human agency, dependency, and digital literacy within the realm of autonomous, invisible technologies. The work invites viewers to reflect on their evolving relationship with these technologies and the implications of AI’s expanding role in shaping human thought and interaction.