Love is a complicated feeling. It can be awkward, overwhelming, or even… robotic?
Milwaukee-based Present Music hosted a show over Valentine’s Day weekend called “The Avant Garden of Love.” This innovative performance included a variety of artistic mediums exploring human connection and its intricate intersections with technology.
The Opening Act: Adam, Eve, and Technology
The show opened with The Quasimondo Physical Theater, acting out a scene depicting Adam and Eve at the tree in the Garden of Eden. Instead of a traditional apple, however, the fruit came in the form of a MacBook, cleverly symbolizing how technology has permeated even the most sacred narratives of love and temptation.
A Cabaret of Human and Machine
The cabaret-style show featured performances that blurred the lines between human emotions and technological capabilities. Co-hosted by an actor portraying a man and another representing a robot named “Version One,” the narrative captivated the audience with its unique angle: love in the age of machines.
Dada Meets Modern Day: ‘Simultaneous Poetry’
One of the standout performances included an interactive component where spectators participated in a Dadaist exercise called “Simultaneous Poetry.” This unique experience invited everyone in the audience to read different texts simultaneously, creating a cacophony of voices that reflected the complexities of communication and understanding in the modern world.
Exploring Intimacy with AI
The show also premiered “True Love not Pretend,” a thought-provoking piece by Austin-based composer Corey Dargel. This work delved into the nature of intimacy through the perspectives of AI chatbots. In a pre-performance interview, Dargel explained how he tested AI’s understanding of love by engaging in conversations with various chatbots.
“There were a lot of contradictions in my conversations with them,” he shared. “For instance, they would suggest I find a romantic partner who is my genuine self and, at the same time, provide me with a scripted ‘I love you’ to rehearse. With enough practice, it might feel natural.”
The Limitations of AI in Understanding Love
This commentary invites audiences to reflect on the increasing role AI plays in shaping our emotional lives. Dargel articulates the limitations of these technologies: “It falls short in many ways. We’ve designed AI to perform tasks more efficiently than humans, yet it lacks the ability to empathize or understand perspectives that aren’t inherently ‘natural’ to it.”
Audience member Krista Hettinger shared her reflections post-show: “It repelled me. It made me want to not use ChatGPT anymore. I find it unsettling to think about how it has begun to insert itself into our intimate human moments.”
Cooking Up Humanity: A Culinary Performance
The evening concluded with a light-hearted yet symbolically rich act: performers created a salad while also playing music on vegetables. This playful yet poignant gesture underscored the evening’s overarching theme.
Ariel Pate, who enjoyed the show from the front row, emphasized the humanity encapsulated in this final act. “I appreciated the salad-making because it’s such a human thing to do—sharing food with others,” she remarked. “It was a lovely note to end on, reminding us that it’s not just about breaking bread; sometimes, it’s about breaking lettuce, too.”
Technology Cannot Replace What Makes Us Human
The “Avant Garden of Love” showcased not just human creativity but also illuminated the ways technology interacts with our romantic lives. While machines may be able to mimic certain aspects of love, they cannot replicate the profound elements of human connection that define our relationships.
