NEO SEER: A Syncretic Animacy
Typically, a work of art—whether a painting, a sculpture, or an installation—waits, often motionless, for the viewer's gaze. It occupies a fixed role, one in which its identity is largely static, and its relationship to the viewer is defined by their interpretations. But what if the work were, in a sense, aware, responsive and capable of reflecting its environment through a readable “stream of consciousness”, becoming an interactive participant in the environment it is stationed. This practice-led research project aims to rethink the traditional and passive role of an art piece in ways that both mirror and challenge the viewer’s perceptions.
NEO SEER is a series of interactive and responsive objects that house an autonomous AI model encased in a 3D-printed body. Much like how characters in a RPG (role-playing game) interact with a digital environment and the player, NEO SEER allows you to explore not only what it might say but what it is thinking, while it observes. Its thoughts will often drift off, much like human thoughts do, picking up on new ideas influenced by previous interactions and occasionally going off topic before circling back, creating an ongoing narrative.
Results
NEO SEER will be presented through three key exhibition moments. The first presentation will take place during Articulate 2025 at RAFA, where I will present the initial iteration to gather and document public feedback. This will be followed by an exhibition at PLUS-ONE Gallery in 2026, featuring the project in a more developed state. The project culminates with an interactive installation that includes multiple
3D-printed bodies for the NEO SEER objects at Articulate 2027, coinciding with the release of a final publication that combines the three Writings of NEO SEER editions into a single volume, accompanied by additional documentation. These publications will be developed in collaboration with my promoter,
Thomas Crombez, and for their production and distribution, I will seek funding from Track Report, the publishing house of RAFA.
During the annual research weeks at RAFA, I will organize a workshop every year over the duration of this project. Each workshop will focus on different themes related to the research project. The first year's workshop will explore human-AI interaction, documenting how different interactions influence the AI's
output. Students will explore ways to interact with the NEO SEER software and use these findings as inspiration. To expand the workshop, I will invite Marnix Van Soom to share insights as a computer scientist and his involvement in the project. The second year's workshop will focus on experimental material research for 3D printing. Participants will develop printable materials, experimenting with various compounds and organic ingredients. Andreas Biront will join for a talk on his bio-material
research.
