Machine Imagining is the latest exhibition on display at the Braybrook Community Hub.
Artist Kate Geck had the idea for the community engaged arts project because she was curious to explore databases that are used in machine learning.
“I thought it might be interesting to bring robot projects into the community by working with people in the area who might not have experience with machine learning and are probably curious about it,” she said.
Over several months, Kate has worked with community members to produce a community database of observations of the local, natural world.
“We worked together to make our own database of local endangered plants from the area.
“We did that by hand drawing and hand painting lots of specimens of vulnerable flora in our area.
“And then those were used to train some machine learning models to generate thousands of new images on the community database.”
Kate said these datasets were arranged through collage into large hanging textiles, and finally were finished with hand embroidery.
Kate’s long term interest in emerging technologies gave her the inspiration for the project.
“I am always wondering how you can use technology to reveal a new relationship or new understandings about the world,” she said.
“Machine learning is all about recognising patterns, and then the machine intelligence recreates those patterns.
“I was just curious about what patterns might help us recognise or observe the natural world.”
More than 30 Maribyrnong locals participated across the whole project which Kate said was great fun.
“It was a real local strengthening and connection to place, while we all thought about these plants that are disappearing.”
The exhibition will be on display until Friday, October 6.
Jennifer Pittorino
