in transitu live, 2022-2025
transgender body, laptop, projector, makeup, custom software
Click to load imageThe artist Ada Ada Ada sitting in front of a computer, wearing an open white shirt and black bra.
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Click to load imageThe artist Ada Ada Ada sitting in front of a computer, putting on mascara. Behind her is a projection of the computer screen showing a live feed of the webcam.
To reduce website CO2e emissions, project images need to be manually loaded.
Click to load imageThe artist Ada Ada Ada sitting in front of a computer, wearing a skincolored bra. She is in the process of letting down her hair.
To reduce website CO2e emissions, project images need to be manually loaded.
Click to load imageThe artist Ada Ada Ada seen from the side sitting at a table in front of an audience, applying make up, wearing a white shirt and high heels.
To reduce website CO2e emissions, project images need to be manually loaded.
Click to load imageThe artist Ada Ada Ada seen from the side, her face is smothered in lipstick and black penlines.
To reduce website CO2e emissions, project images need to be manually loaded.
Click to load imageThe artist Ada Ada Ada sitting in front of a computer, wearing a white shirt and black bra. Her hair is in space buns, and her face looks surprised.
To reduce website CO2e emissions, project images need to be manually loaded.
About
in transitu live is a live performance with/against gender classification "artificial intelligence".
The performance lasts between 30 and 60 minutes and consists of me sitting in front of my laptop having a bodily and verbal conversation with a gender classification algorithm.
The feed from the computer's webcam is projected onto a wall behind me, so spectators can follow along with the live gender classification results.
During the performance I use different techniques to transform my algorithmically perceived gender into different categories. Some of the techniques are based on makeup, others are based on body language and some are reliant on facial expressions.
Throughout the live performance, I talk to the algorithm out loud about what gender is and how it relates to gender expression, data, machine learning, computers and human experiences.
in transitu live is a direct result of my work with the Instagram project in transitu. It comes out of a desire to investigate more directly how gender classification algorithms can be tricked into seeing other genders.
Whereas the Instagram project is slow, confounding and investigative, the live performance is fast, controlled and revealing. Through experimenting with this specific gender classification "artificial intelligence", I have learned exactly what techniques work to convince the algorithm to see something different than it's initial guess. I show these techniques to my audience, thereby exposing all algorithms and "artificial intelligences" as something trickable.
in transitu live was performed for the first time at Debutfest in 2022. The gender classification algorithm face-api.js is the basis of the custom software that I've written for the performance. Images from the Debutfest performance used on this page are taken by Niclas Hawkesworth. Images from the KP25 performance used on this page are taken by Semih Simsek.
See more
Find the in transitu project on Instagram hereExhibitions & performances
- —Performance. C.U.T.S. @ Warehouse9, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- —Group exhibition & performance. Embodied Encryption @ Platform Post, Arnhem, Netherlands.
- —Performance. Kunstnernes Påskeudstilling, Aarhus, Denmark.
- —Performance. Debutfest, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Press, coverage & media appearances
- —C.U.T.S. - a reportage — Blinde Vinkler