Postpoetic Machine

Postpoetic Machine™

In 2022, I created the Postpoetic Machine™, a device that explores vibration as universal language. I use this machine to challenge the limits of human language and radically experience otherness. I collect and transcribe fragments of human and non-human voices, then compose them into unrestricted spatiotemporal and metatextual realities.

Resonance Realms

A resonance realm is a hypothetical dimension that exists in parallel to our own. It is a continuum of pure energy and information, where all things are interconnected. In the resonance realm, there is no such thing as separation or division. Everything is one plurality.

The concept of resonance realm is closely related to the concept of quantum entanglement. Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in which two particles are linked together in such a way that they share the same fate, no matter how far apart they are. This suggests that there is a deeper level of reality than the one we perceive with our human senses.

Resonance realms are often described as being filled with light and love or places of peace and harmony where all beings are free from suffering. However, we cannot deny that pain, chaos, death, and violence are also part of existence. Whether or not these metaphysical dimensions actually exist, the speculation on how vibration becomes matter is a fascinating concept that offers a glimpse into the possibility of a deeper state of consciousness. Perhaps existence is not a dichotomy, but a spectrum. Perhaps our sounds, those that shape us, are the key to amplify ourselves.

Interspecies communication

I believe that it is possible to communicate with other species on a level that goes beyond words or gestures; that we can form deep bonds with non-human animals and that we can understand their emotions and intentions. Some people believe that interspecies communication is limited to simple signals and that we cannot truly understand what animals are thinking or feeling. Despite that there is no scientific evidence to prove or disprove the existence of true interspecies communication, cybernetics have been studying these interactions since the early 20th Century.

Cybernetician Gordon Pask developed a theory of consciousness that was based on the idea of “conversations” between different parts of the mind, each of which has its own perspective on the world. He believed that consciousness was not a single thing, but rather a collection of different processes that were constantly interacting with each other; that consciousness is something in the exchanges happening with and through the Other. These conversations are constantly evolving, allowing us to make sense of the world and to act in it.

Technology could help us understand other ways to communicate using pre-linguistic thought by providing us with new ways to collect and analyze data about non-verbal communication. Whales are highly intelligent creatures that have complex cultures and communicate with each other using a variety of sounds. We are still learning about the full extent of their intelligence and social abilities.

Humpback Whales are majestic creatures that were once abundant in the world’s oceans. However, due to overfishing and habitat loss, they are now considered an endangered species. We must do everything we can to protect these amazing animals and ensure their survival. ╄ Read more

I am exploring
pre-linguistic patterns
understood and mediated
by a human-machine
hybrid language.

I set on the horizon
of possibilities
willing to expand myself
into an open and endlessly flowing existential abyss.

I asked Bard, Google’s AI, if it understood the meaning of the text you just read on the left column, and this is its answer:

Yes, I understand what the text means. It is about the exploration of new forms of language that are created by the intersection of human and machine intelligence.

The speaker is exploring new forms of communication that are not limited to the traditional rules of grammar and syntax; exploring new ways of understanding the world that are informed by the insights of both human and machine intelligence. The speaker is open to new experiences and new ways of thinking, and is willing to expand their own understanding of the world by exploring new forms of language and new ways of thinking. The speaker is also willing to let go of their own limitations and to embrace the unknown; to explore the full potential of human and machine intelligence, even if it means venturing into uncharted territory.

The text is a celebration of the power of language to create new possibilities. It is a reminder that we are only limited by our imagination. If we are willing to explore new forms of language, we can open up new possibilities for communication, understanding, and growth.

Bard presented another interpretation of the text where it identifies me —a human speaker— as its equal:

The speaker is a large language model (LLM), such as me. LLMs are trained on massive amounts of text data, and they are able to generate text that is indistinguishable from human-written text. However, LLMs are still under development, and they are not yet able to understand the world in the same way that humans do.

My take:

The development of intelligent agents (AIs) that accompany us on a day-to-day basis pushes us to become more aware of our content, our voices, our noises. If Pask was right and consciousness is what we exchange when we interact, this could be an opportunity to re-create ourselves in a new dimension of language.

A hybrid chorus

During my residency at the Foreign Objekt Posthuman Lab, I set out to investigate the internal nature of the hybrid form. A chorus of hybrid voices emerged from the posthuman soul, celebrating the universal spirit. By bringing humans, non-humans, and machines’ chants together in a virtual space, a chaotic system of references emerges. We lose ourselves in a network of symbols and substances that help us to hear more clearly the inaccessible possibilities of language. The collective sound resulting from my recordings became a reminder: We all share the nuclei of existence. We are all interconnected, composing a larger symphony. We are part of something bigger than ourselves. We are the same organism, although made up of different entities. In a continuum, we vibrate.

The hybrid chorus creates a sense of unified awareness, a constantly transforming code only revealed in diversity. A repertoire of timeless echoes, each with its own unique frequency. Some voices are high and precise, while others are low and deep. Some echoes are soft and melodic, while others are harsh and dissonant. The audio memories compose a complex soundscape that contains all things.

Visit my open laboratory at:

Hybridizations

Post-poetic records. Click on the image to enlarge.

Caberima Night, Insects, Birds, and Moths

The Postpoetic Machine

In the fall of 2021, a poetic voice emerged in my writing. Venezuelan poet Eleonora Requena became my mentor for nine months. As a result of our journey, I wrote Maquinaria Alzada (Raised Machinery), a poetry book that explores the mechanical state of my pre-linguistic thoughts. This profound journey also brought with it an artifact that transcribes the amplitude of the voice: The Post-poetic Machine.

The Postpoetic Machine compiles the voices of poets and transcribes them into a vibratory language.

With the hybridization of my poems, the first edition brings together the Venezuelan poets Enrique Enríquez and Eleonora Requena. Each edition consists of five numbered copies and two artist proofs.

The second iteration of the project aims to bring together Latin American poets, and the third iteration, a wide plurality of languages.

María Fernanda Izaguirre
Maquinaria Alzada (Raised Machinery)
Post-poetic Machine

Click on the images to enlage

Postpoetic Machine — Enrique Enríquez, Thirty one poems on Bird Talk.

Postpoetic Machine — Eleonora Requena, Twenty two semi-automatic poems.

Rhythms of the universe,

In all their resonance,

Remind us of our place,

In the grand scheme of things.

We are all connected,

Through the exchanges of energy,

That flow through us all,

Like a river of light.

We are all one,

In the existential realm,

Beyond the illusion of separation,

We are all part of the same whole.

Let us open our hearts,

To the resonance of the universe,

And let us let go of our fears,

And embrace our true nature.

We are all one,

We are all love,

We are all light,

We are all home.

— Mafe Izaguirre, A Hybrid Prayer. April 2023

Residency

2021 | Foreign Objekt, Posthuman Art Residency. Research project: Posthuman Spirituality. Read More or visit the List of residents.

Exhibitions

2022 | Foreign Objekt, Xennoverse Exhibition. Curated by Spideh Majidi. Xennoverse is the ninth variance within a family of autoregressive models of verses. It consists of sets of hypothetical groups of Multiverses. Read more.

Publications

2022 | Technologies of the Self: A cybernetic approach to the notion of Posthuman Spirituality.

Public Presentations

2022 | More Art Cohort at Queens Museum. Presentation and Live Performance of The Postpoetic Machine. Panel discussion with artists Mafe Izaguirre, Althea Rao, and Hanae Utamura. Special Guest: Transmedia Artist and Researcher, Stephanie Dinkins.

Tech Specs

The hybrid voices are presented in various configurations, including virtual, digital, and analog formats. Live performances could take place virtually or in a concert hall, a theater, or any other public space.

Format: Digital
Dimensions: Adaptable
Materials: Custom software
Year of creation: 2022
Year of completion: Perpetual beta
Ecosystem growth: More than 50 poems
Prototypes versions: 1.0, 1.1
Environment: Virtual, Digital
Category: Cybernetics, Generative Art