WATCH: Manila Symphony Orchestra music turned into Artificial Intelligence paintings at 'Da Vinci experience'

MANILA, Philippines — Amid all these talks and fears about Artificial Intelligence (AI) taking over the world and humankind, AI-powered show and exhibition “Wisdom of Da Vinci: An Immersive AI Experience” opened at the 3rd level of One Bonifacio High Street mall in Taguig City with long lines last weekend and according to staff, the show is fully-booked until August 15.

Inspired by Italian artist and scientist Leonardo Da Vinci’s genius, “Wisdom of Da Vinci: An Immersive AI Experience” features massive digital paintings that marry art with science and technology – just like Da Vinci, who dabbled in both art and science, said Ferdi Alici of Ouchhh.

Alici, who flew all the way from Istanbul for the show’s media launch last week, shared that Ouchhh is the new media company behind the show’s AI technology, which the company also used in many of its digital art installations all over the world.

Among the show’s highlights is “Superstrings,” a cognitive performance that features real-time brain waves of the members of Manila Symphony Orchestra during the exhibit’s opening. Alici explained the science behind the performance: sensors were attached to orchestra members and their algorithms were then translated by the computer into bursts of colors and patterns projected into giant screens, creating an “Instagram-worthy” multisensory feast. Simply put, the show uses “algorithms as paint brush and data as canvas,” Alici said.

"The exhibit visualizes the changes in brain wave activities of the musicians in real-time, transforming the Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma brain waves into a visual experience," the show's notes is seen projected onscreen prior to the performance.

The AI experience starts off with the Curator Lounge, a digital collection intersecting art and science. First to greet guests within the Curator Lounge is the Poetic AI Gallery, an exhibition that explores the relationship between human creativity and technology. It draws on a digital library of 20 million lines derived from the works of scientists such as Einstein and Galileo Galilei, and blends the best of Ouchhh’s signature aesthetics with cutting-edge AI algorithms.

Also in the Curator Lounge, for a minimum donation via GCash at the Globe lounge, kids can draw their own versions of Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and have their artworks scanned to be projected as part of the lounge’s exhibition.

The next part of the Curator Lounge is Manila Real-time Data Artwork, taking you on a journey through the Philippines' economy. Utilizing data from budgets, agriculture, and statistics, the result is a data piece fluctuating in real-time, changing as it reflects the nation’s pulse.

Coming next is the first immersive hall, Digital Garden of Dreams, a hall of dynamic artwork featuring four chapters of data paintings:

• Atlas, inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” and his study of the human body to bring together the work of scientists the world over;
• DataGate, a collaboration with NASA using data gathered by the Kepler space telescope covering 500,000 stars, 2,500 planets, and 60 supernovae;
• Superstrings
• and Filipino Master, featuring the works of Juan Luna created throughout his lifetime, translated as data paintings

Keep traversing through the exhibit’s whirlwind of art, energy, and colors, and you will eventually find yourself in the mind of the genius that is Leonardo da Vinci, called “Wisdom of Da Vinci,” the second immersive hall. From the timelessness of the “Mona Lisa” down to the details of his manuscripts, this room breathes life to its own abstract aesthetic language, all created using data from sketches, invention plans and paintings of Da Vinci and other master artists. The visuals are accompanied by music curated and performed by world-famous composer Ludovico Einaudi.

Alfie Reyes, Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation Chief Operating Officer, said that following the success of “Van Gogh Alive” digital experience in One Bonifacio High Street last 2019, they really planned to follow it up with the “Da Vinci” AI experience, which was only postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Providing unforgettable experiences is key in our commitment to retailtainment,” Reyes added in a statement. “This time, we are doing just that with ‘Wisdom of Da Vinci: An Immersive AI Experience,’ allowing all to enter a world of art, light, and technology with our partner Ouchhh. We hope that all savor not just the spectacles we have in store, but also enjoy being surrounded with the works of Da Vinci.“ 

Pre-booking is required to access the show. Tickets are available at https://bgcimmersive.com, with prices at P975 for adults and P780 for students. — Video by Philstar.com/Deni Bernardo, editing by Martin Ramos