The Dog Days is an unusual machinima that combines the glitchiness of AI generated content composited with a Second Life avatar. Whilst not realtime, the performative aspect of this work is evident and we reflect on the fit of the current state of generative AI with the Fluxus art movement. We discuss what The Dog Days means, metaphorically and literally, and how we interpret this film concluding it is not a happy outcome for the focal character. The Dog Days evokes memories of a long-ago childhood spent with a much loved pet but the non-sense words and images are of something far more sinister, contextualized by the current general media coverage of wars in Eastern Europe, Middle East and elsewhere. We also discuss our interpretations of the fragility represented in the avatar, including the role of generative AI in becoming cyborg.

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Show Notes and Links

The Dog Days by Fau Ferdinand and Elle Thorkveld, released 17 Feb 2024

Fau Ferdinand’s channel is here – https://vimeo.com/fauferdinand

Second Front arts movement here

Fau Ferdinand on Roles 4 Women here

About the Fluxus art movement here