morning light

Morning Light is an immersive installation where participants can have their tea leaves read by an AI deity. Made in collaboration with Michaela Ternasky-Holland, Brad Davis, Chuily Cheng, Nicole Lee, Jonathan Krauss, Karen Wong, and Ming Chen.

Visual artists Aaron Santiago and Michaela Ternasky-Holland have orchestrated a multi-sensory experience with the help of tea’s transformative quality as well as simulation technology. The collaborative duo has built a contemporary version of a traditional tea house where visitors can step in for a tea leaf fortune reading. Five types of Oolong tea from Taiwan’s Lishan Mountain is on offer, followed by relaxation on pillows at a darkened room where each participant can place their tea cup under a light projection to decode the meaning of their beverage’s leaves about their future. Moving abstract patterns mystically morph in a loop on a large wall projection, accompanied by a genderless voice’s premonitions. Be prepared, for example, for the AI’s constructive advice: “You stand on a threshold ready to break free from self-constrains.”

- Interior Design

Technologies used: JavaScript, Touch Designer, OpenAI GPT.