Alan Turing

(1912-1954) was a heroic wartime code-breaker and pioneer of computer science. He made a provocative contribution to the debate regarding artificial intelligence: whether it will ever be possible to say that a machine is conscious and can think. As a person he was "an ordinary English homosexual atheist mathematician" (A. Hodges). Besides Turing's achievements, his sexual orientation lead to prosecution, probation and chemical castration. Alan died after eating an apple laced with cyanide. His death was ruled a suicide.

Crucible Studio

explores, defines and creates new forms of storytelling in dialogue with new media and traditions of drama. Founded in 2002, the research studio is situated between the Media Lab and Media Centre Lume of the Aalto University School of Art and Design, which provides a unique environment where professionally equipped and maintained production facilities are linked with a content-led, practice-based and multidisciplinary research group. The Turing productions were produced within the SALERO (Semantic AudiovisuaL Entertainment Reusable Objects) project, co-funded by the European Union through the IST programme under FP6.

Special guest visit by the My Tiny Planets characters of Pepper's Ghost Productions: "Alan & Turing Machine" - an automated animation experiment with the Dublin Institute of Technology Vowel Builder using the Alan01/Online sentences.
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The Alan01 installation

engages interactive audience in dialogue with a fictional Alan, as if Turing's consciousness had been coded into a machine at the time of his death. The interactor can "talk" to Alan01 by a system of symbols, which we imagine to have been relevant to Alan Turing's life. The symbol combinations are signalled visibly via light to a media retrieval system. Alan01 deciphers the symbols by a collage of animations projected on the busts of Alan (Hannu Kivioja), screened videos and audio feedback including speech synthesis.

The installation was exhibited in Media Centre Lume, Helsinki Finland, June-September 2009.

The experimental production investigates associational storytelling and interaction structures, while making the patterns of human-machine communication more visible. The experimental cross media production series also includes the Turing Machine multimedia opera that was released with Ooppera Skaala in April 2008.

Photo gallery
Press material
Credits
An introduction video by Media Factory

AlanOnline,

is the non-material counterpart of the Alan01 installation. The online version offers a second interface and another aspect to the media content that is shared with the physical installation. The online version also explores the different characteristics of physical media installations and non-material media art.

One of the most important elements of AlanOnline is the University of Glasgow's image retrieval system that tries to recognize the user's hand drawn images as symbols that trigger the responses of Alan. The image retrieval system is a part of University of Glasgow's ongoing research project, therefore there can be temporary break ups with AlanOnline's connection with Glasgow's servers.

AlanOnline is now open:
mlab.taik.fi/alanonline/flash/


Watch the Making of Alan01, AlanOnline & Turing Impact.

Turing Impact

HD Nonlinear Movie Workshop investigated associational storytelling structures for scripting, shooting and editing documentary/fiction on the impact of Alan Turing and digital computer to contemporary culture.

A Bite,

3 min associational documentary (in Finnish) about finding love at the age of Internet. How does technology influence the age old rituals in forming partnerships?

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Credits

Dialog,

compilation of clips from the movie.

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X1,

is a short movie where the main character traveling on an office chair, experiences a time journey through the change of decades. During this journey the human living space becomes increasingly cramped as the adoration of technology and rationalism grows. Does this make us better or happier people, asks the traveler's gaze in the movie's end.

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Credits