It’s quite an amazing age that we live in, as technology grows exponentially, we are seeing it transform in growth by leaps and bounds and sometimes falls into the disturbing. Last year in August, it was announced that filmmaker Tony Kaye has cast a robot actor with artificial intelligence to be in one of his next films. We’ve seen holograms of dead celebrities such as Amy Winehouse, Tupac, and even Ronald Reagan.
The Dali Art Museum in St. Petersberg, Florida has decided to do something unique with their star artist, by creating an artificial intelligence that replicates Salvador Dali’s voice, face, body facial expressions, and gestures into an eerie reality. Honestly, with the amazing ego Dali was known for, I would think that he would be all about this. After all, in the Dali Theater-Museum near Barcelona, Dali opted to have himself buried underneath the floor of the lobby, being marked only as black square.
On a side note, you might have heard that someone claiming to be his daughter actually got as far as getting his body exhumed for DNA testing to see if it was a match. It was not, that woman had to pay for the exhumation and disturbed the remains of a national treasure of Spain.
So, you guys ready to see this almost terrifying footage of a “reanimated” Dali?
un·can·ny val·ley
Dictionary result for uncanny valley
noun
-
used in reference to the phenomenon whereby a computer-generated figure or humanoid robot bearing a near-identical resemblance to a human being arouses a sense of unease or revulsion in the person viewing it.
I’ve watched this video over and over, and I’m not seeing any uncanny valley creepiness in this video, are you? My head is full of f*ck. The fact that I can’t see it is even more disturbing.
I have been to that museum in St. Petersberg, Florida. It’s pretty amazing. I would have never dreamed that they would put a project like this together, but I am fascinated. In most cases, a “reanimation” of a celebrity in most cases could be of huge moral debate, but as I said before, I’m quite certain that Dali himself would be all for it. The implications for other celebrities that have passed away though, could and should be heavily debated.
The Dali Museum shared about the project:
“Dalí once said: “Si muero, no muero por todo,” or “If I die, I won’t completely die.” Thirty years after his death, his words take on a new meaning at The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. "Dali Lives" uses artificial intelligence to let visitors experience his bigger-than-life personality in an up close and personal way.”
For comparison of Dali in life, and his personality, here’s some footage from an old game show during 1954 called “What’s My Line?” Contestants are blindfolded and they get to ask the guest yes or no questions trying to determine who they are. Dali, a man larger than life like himself, broke the game by answering yes to nearly everything.
As you can see, the AI was pretty spot on. Whatever they are exactly planning with this, “Dali Lives - Art Meets Artificial Intelligence” debuts at the The Dali Museum in Florida April 2019.
~Eva Snail aka Big Eyes
Instagram: @artbysnail
