Little Martians Universe - Art experiment/Study group
Collective AI-Powered Sci-Fi World Building with Physical Pieces
Course/study group Introduction
The "Little Martians Universe" bridges traditional craftsmanship with the new creative potentials of AI and interactive storytelling. Here, the lines between physical and digital blur, and the Little Martians story gets a new spin on your hands.
What you need to know is:
In the distant future, life has evolved beyond our understanding. However, human imagination thrives in a mysterious simulation, known as the Human Imaginarium. It is a sanctuary where life as we once knew it persists, even as the cosmos outside remains obscure.
The Human Imaginarium is maintained by enigmatic floating heads that live in futuristic plants, called Little Martians. Mostly, Little Martians are human descendants, merged with plants, fungi and earthly spirits that have flourished on Mars. They are inspired by Japan’s Shinto tradition, spirits like the Kodama, but also by other worldwide traditions, such as the Maize gods. However, there are many conspiracies around Little Martians and disparate theories about what they really are.
Other than the Little Martians, the main characters of this sci-fi world are uploaded minds (including ourselves), notable humans and gods from worldwide cultures.
Participants in this project are expected to create physical sculptures of their characters, using ceramics, 3d printing, resin, or another technique they propose. The sculptures should be 3d scanned and act as avatars in interactive simulations, powered by a variety of 3d softwares and AI models.
Whether you're a tech enthusiast, an aspiring artist, or simply curious about the convergence of different mediums, this project promises a rich tapestry of skills, creativity, and exploration. Every participant is a creator, a contributor to this world, a storyteller. It’s a collective world-building experience.
The project will create an installation on Mars - The Little Martian Shrine - and another one in Bombay Beach, in the house known as Saturn.
To know more about the Little Martians World look at the official website and blog.
Course Structure
Each session works separately as a module. Many of the sessions should be taught by Vanessa Rosa in collaboration with another instructor and not necessarily be only about the Little Martians universe. Also, there are many ways of contributing for the project, such as creative writing, installation art, tech support, documentation etc.
Session Breakdown
Intro to the Little Martians World: Dive into the existing universe, understanding the nuances of collective and interactive storytelling.
Creative writing with AI: using AI language models for creative writing, prompting characters and scenarios.
3D Scanning: Photogrammetry, LIDAR, and NeRFs, ending with hands-on scanning exercises. - Plus: fast avatar creation using Iphone app
3D Printing: Grasp the vast landscape of 3D printing, understand mesh optimization for printing, and learn how to operate our martian 3d printer
Creating Characters out of Clay: Bring life to characters, including Little Martians and other intriguing shapes. Many pre-made molds will be available.
Mold Making: Dive into mold techniques, experimenting with silicon and more to shape our universe.
Glazing: Paint the universe, understanding the foundational principles of glazing.
3D Animation: Familiarize yourself with Blender and animate your 3D scans to life. We’ll also discuss some of the latest models for automatic 3d animation, such as Nvidia Omniverse Audio2Face and Audio2Gesture.
AI Voice: From cloning voices, designing new ones to generating interactive dialogues.
AI Transformation on Videos: Morph and shape videos using AI, exploring a spectrum of styles and techniques.
Crypto integration: how web3 can be relevant for collective interactive storytelling projects? Role of NFTs, tokenomics, splits, Little Martians roadmap.
Mid-terms - Finals | Presentation & Review: Showcase your character development and the artistry honed so far. Write an article, document your process.
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Foundational Skills in AI for storytelling
Create a character, physical and 3d avatar
Developing workflows between digital and physical
Course Objectives
Creation of the Human Imaginarium!
Creation of an installation on Mars that is super cozy and people would enjoy spending their time in. It should be a welcoming space for ritualistic performances.