The Welcome Chorus is an interactive installation comprised of 12 interactive horns, inviting visitors into the gallery space. As a collaborative work, it utilizes Artificial Intelligence to create a sonic experience for the visitors. There are two ways to engage with the Welcoming Choir. First, with local musicians’ help, lyrics and melodies were created at workshops to generate the sound library. These were then fed into the AI for output. The second method is to encourage visitors to speak into the sculptures, which will generate musical feedback from the AI. The AI will recognize tonal changes in the voice, tempo and specific words, then produce a short melody based on the visitor’s entry. Every few minutes, the Welcoming Choir performs a short piece based on the previous hours’ input. This continual engagement creates unexpected moments as visitors enter and exit the exhibit. Every moment is unique. Christl Baur, Head of Ars Electronica Festival, gives insights into this new exhibit at the Ars Electronica Center.
