First performed in December 2023, “The Backyard of Weird Creatures” will be performed again at the Aotearoa Digital Arts Symposium on 26 May 2024 at 9:30am NZ time (find your local time here).

“We are rebels, strangers to all forms, colours, and times. We shatter perfection, embracing the cyborg body, dualized between the physical and the non-physical. We are the revolution, the new philosophy.”

The Backyard of Weird Creatures unfolds as a 26-minute cyberformance presented on Upstage Live. Four enigmatic beings emerge in a chaotic backyard. Only the promise of rain holds the key to liberating them from their neutral stasis.

Crafted from the outputs of Chat GPT-4, DALL·E 2.0, Runway AI, and Plugger AI, the live performance delves into the realm of generative AI. It asks whether Artificial Intelligence is a tool, an agent, or an active force in the creative process. Leaning into the imperfections and glitches of AI generated material the performance seeks to birth art from the peculiar and the unattractive.

Daniela Souza is a multi-artist from Brazil, currently pursuing a Masters in Communication Sciences at NOVA University, Lisbon, Portugal. Souza has presented video performances at web festivals including Fora Dali and Lux Noctis Festival. Joining the performance will be Natália Macedo and Karina Senise.