Next Gen / (Species After)  delves into iterations of designed intelligence and speculative beings. It reimagines entities as agents also of transformation. Through the lens of audio-visual installation and performance, Next Gen / (Species After) explores how these entities adapt via algorithmic ‘conscious’ and evolutionary barriers— or ’spiritual’ maps—that inform emergent ‘species.’

Using scripting to bridge AI agents of conflict with biological and astronomical data, the work unveils a process of iteration, where these beings evolve into entirely new forms. Their journey becomes a meditation on the interplay of structure and fluidity, function and transcendence, as they transition between tools of conflict to vessels of generative renewal.

The installation weaves together layers of interactive sound and visual, inviting the audience to witness the redefinition of being in the ‘after’. 

By framing this process in a speculative and  spiritual context, the work challenges our perceptions of technology, creativity, and humanity's role in shaping evolving systems.

Central to the work is a large stained glass ‘instrument,’ illuminated from within and resonating with sound—autonomously and during live performance. The structure is informed by organic data imagery and algorithmic shape-shifting. This instrument serves as both a visual and auditory centerpiece.

Sound is the connective tissue of the installation, generated through a complex interplay of light and glass. Optical resistors respond to light, creating resonant tones captured by contact mics, while data sonification in a Max Patch amplifies and reinterprets these interactions. Field recordings will also mix with these sounds. During live performance, my voice becomes part of the soundscape, layered with a choral AI digital and analog effects, merging human and machine in sonic expression.

Also within the space are smaller stained glass “organisms,” crafted from 3D prints that reinterpret organic biological and astronomical data. These intimate, playable instruments are extensions of the central piece, embodying the iterative process of evolution.

Video projections of these organisms animate on extruded screens made from fly screens.  The work invites the audience into a space where algorithmic designs, data, and emergent systems converge, reimagining the possibilities of consciousness and the role of art as a mediator between the organic, technological, and spiritual.