Self-healing Function
YIBO XU
2017 MFA Thesis Exhibition Electronic Integrated Arts
April 22nd – 25th
Interactive Installation, 2016
In 1960, Norbert, the father of cybernetics, published an essay entitled “some of the moral and technical consequences of automation”. Wiener pointed out that machines have become very effective and even dangerous things in about 1960, because they have a certain degree of thinking and communication ability. They are beyond the limitations of designers. He assumed a situation under the control theory system. If a machine has an ability of automatic operation and the function of learning and training to play a game of nuclear war, as long as the rules of the game are to win the nominal victory, these machines may do anything, even at the expense of human survival. The speed of the “evolution” of machines has become so fast that humans act like non-humans in the industrial world, because we have lost the supremacy of the ruler.
The development of science and technology led to the industrial revolution. The revolutionary progress led to a new awareness of human. This also led to the split of traditional values of humans. This process of bridging needs to balance the relationship between man and machine, and man and technology.
1960年，控制论之父诺伯特·维纳出版了一篇短文，题目是“自动化中的一些道德和技术后果”。维纳指出大约在1960，机器已经成为非常有效的，甚至是危险的东西，因为他们拥有“一定程度的思考和沟通”能力，超越了设计师的局限性。他假设了一种情况，并基于控制论体系中，如果一台机器具有自动运算并学习的功能并被训练去玩一个可以控制核战开始的按钮游戏。只要按照游戏的程序规则，为赢得名义胜利，这些机器可能会做任何事情，即使以人类的生存为代价。机器“进化”的速度变得如此之快，并且聪明和不可撤销，由此在工业时代的人类已经不像人类，我们失去了统治者至高无上的地位。巴特勒所担忧并在小说中生动描绘的人类被机器所统治的时代，已经开始变成了现实 “我们也许还未觉醒，当想关掉它，为时已晚。” （维纳1960，1355 – 1358）。
科技的发展引发工业革命，在1960－1970年众多领域的革命性进步导致了人们对人与机器之间关系的新的觉醒，这种认识与觉醒也导致了人类传统价值观的分裂。这种弥合的过程则需要不断平衡人与机器，人与科技的关系。
The wheelchair can provide a convenient way of moving to people who lose or temporarily lose their ability of movement. As the French philosopher George Camherm proposed a new way of thinking – the machine is an extension of human organs. In other words, we can think that industrial machines are human organs or the definition of human organs can cover industrial machinery. The machine has not only become part of the human organ, at the same time, human beings have also become part of a “super machine”. The machine is more consistent with the definition of an organic person than ever before. But if we throw away these icy rational analyses, people can learn to stand up and walk by training instead of sitting on the tools of the two wheels forever and giving up to challenge human limits.
轮椅可以提供一种便捷移动方式给那些双腿失去行动能力的人们, 但同时也让一些可以通过训练很快站立起来的人永远坐在这两个轮子的工具上。法国哲学家乔治·卡舍尔（George Camherm）提出了一种新的思维方式 – 机器是人体器官的延伸。换句话说，我们可以认为工业机器是人体器官，人体器官的定义可以涵盖工业机械。机器不仅成为人体器官的一部分，同时人类也成为“超级机器”的一部分。该机器比以往任何时候都更符合有机人的定义。但是，如果我们抛弃这些冰冷的理性分析，那些有机会从新站起来的人们就可以通过训练再次站起来，而不是永远坐在两个轮子的工具上，放弃挑战人的极限。
Is it a symbiotic relationship between industrial machines and human beings？ Or do they continue to push each other to destruction? Like alien life is imagined in the science fiction film, they have huge heads, slender limbs and just only have the basic ability to move, or even to live in the mechanical or bionic shell. The birth of this image reflects the human concern for the future development of industrial technology. It is difficult for us to evaluate and predict the continuous development of industrial machinery and technology in the future. This is why my heart is uneasy, so I try to find the state without answers when I create my art piece. This statement of anxiety and uneasiness is the power of creation. Since the Aristotelian era, Westerners believe that “soul” or “self” can distinguish between humans and non-human beings. Is this distinction in the current era of great development of science and technology industry still effective? There is no conclusive evidence of the fundamental gap between man and machine. For each human activity, there can be a mechanical correspondence. Is the difference between man and machine completely gone?
工业机器与人类之间是互利共生关系吗？还是将彼此推向毁灭？科幻电影中外星生命有巨大的头，细长的肢体，只有基本的移动能力，甚至生活在机械或仿生壳。这种形象的诞生反映了人们对工业技术发展的忧虑。我们很难评估和预测未来工业机械和技术的不断发展将会给我们带来什么，这也是我内心产生不安的原因，这种忧虑与不安是我创作的动机，在作品中我尝试将无答案的状态呈现在观众面前，这是一种对工业世界充满忧虑与不安的陈述，而接下来的一切就交给观众了。自亚里士多德时代以来，西方人认为“灵魂”或“自我”可以区分人与人之间的差异。这个区别在当今科技大发展的时代还是有效的吗？我们无法定义人与机器之间根本的差距。对于每一个人类活动，都可以寻找到一个机械的对应。那么人与机之间的差异是否完全消失了？
Robert C. Turner Gallery School of Art and Design NYSCC at Alfred University2 Pine Street, Alfred, NY 14802
Opening Reception: Saturday • April 22nd • 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Gallery Hours : Tuesday – Friday: 12pm – 5pm
Saturday: 12pm – 2pm