To become a content generator, a low-level government clerk at the Office of Content Generation involves a long and complex process. One important milestone in the process is the qualification test. Candidate 3751 failed the test, let's see if candidate 3752 will have better luck.
The System
Live Performance, 2018
Carrie Sijia Wang
Screening Performance, Performing Screens, Martin E. Segal Theatre Center
NIME Performance, The Paper Box
Documentation credit: ITP Nime 2018, Tong Wu
Special thanks to Greg Shakar, Wenqi Li, Ari Melenciano and Hayeon Hwang
Set in a futuristic, fictional world, The System presents the process of The Content Generator Qualification Test. The test loops in between three sections: Content Generation, Integration Reinforcement, and Subject Realignment, with each cycle getting progressively more intense than the previous one.
In Content Generation, the candidate is asked to type as fast as possible, while Integration Reinforcement requires the candidate to recite slogans following a computer voice. The texts in these two parts are both Markov chain generated.
The source text for Content Generation is a collection of destination descriptions on international tourism websites. The source text for Integration Reinforcement is the combination of lyrics from the world’s 204 national anthems.
The audio elements in this performance include a modular musical composition played by typing the keys on a computer keyboard, a clock that ticks and speeds up in the background, a computer voice giving instructions, the performer’s voice reciting slogans, and notification sounds from the system.
In 2020, The System evolved into The System 2.0, a new and improved version online. Candidate 3752 continues to struggle to generate valid content that aligns with the system in order to pass the Content Generator Qualification Test.
Online Performance, 2020
Carrie Sijia Wang
Duration: 15 minutes
EdgeCut: Captivity
Curated by Heidi Boisvert and Kat Mustatea
Spring Fling: The System 2.0
Hosted by Katie Zazenski from STROBOSKOP Art Space
ELO2021 Featured Performance
Hosted by Electronic Literature Organization
Inventing Creativity—Feature Artist Performance and Talk
Curated by Vincent Cellucci, hosted by TU Delft Library
The System 2.0 at EdgeCut: Captivity: the performance was live-streamed into a virtual 3D gathering space, followed by a conversation between the artist, the curator, and the audience.
