I Magma 1.5

I Magma by Jenna Sutela, in collaboration with Memo Akten and Allison Parrish, is a machine oracle that delves into our collective futures. This decentralized intelligence contemplates live video feeds from lava lamps shaped like heads, creating connections among the GPS coordinates of its online followers. By employing a neural network trained on public domain texts from the Internet Sacred Texts Archive, it crafts oracular readings from the visual patterns it perceives. Additionally, this project draws inspiration from Erowid’s Shulgin Archives, which document psychedelic experiences in detail.

Oracular readings are presented within the app every 30 seconds and via daily push notifications.

Jenna Sutela is an artist known for her work with words, sounds, and various living media, including Bacillus subtilis nattō bacteria and the "many-headed" slime mold Physarum polycephalum. Through her audiovisual creations, sculptures, and performances, she explores and responds to critical social and material junctures, often intertwined with technology.

Artistic Collaboration:

• Artists: Jenna Sutela, Memo Akten
• Language Generation: Allison Parrish

This project was developed in 2019 with UI and app development by Black Shuck. It was co-commissioned by Serpentine Galleries and Moderna Museet and features the Eurotica Bugs typeface designed by Helsinki Type Studio.

System Requirements:

• Supported Devices: iPhone 6s and above
• Requires iOS 11 or later

Digital engagement for this project is made possible through the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies. Serpentine Galleries receives public funding from Arts Council England.