The Neural Net is a collaborative, participatory art installation, in which visitors build neurons and set their parameters to add them to the sculptural neural network — which generates images live, changing as visitors add their neurons.
Neural networks process data through many nodes. This network generates an image — and the neurons are contributed by you. If the facilitator is in, you can add your own neuron, build it, and set its parameters. If the facilitator is not in, feel free to come in and check it out!
Exhibition Hours: 9:00am-4:30pm, Monday to Friday, Feb 2-16 2024
Facilitation: Mon/Wed 10:00am-12pm, Tue/Fri 12:00pm-2:00pm, Thu 1pm-3pm.
View the online interface at: kblair.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/NeuralNet
Participants needed for research in participatory art
We are looking for volunteers who take part in The Neural Net to participate in a study of how visitors experience participatory art installations about complex social issues.
As a participant in this study, you would be asked to:
- Complete a questionnaire about your background and your experience with visual art.
- Participate in an zoom-based, audio-recorded interview about how you experienced the work.
Your participation is entirely voluntary and would take approximately 60 minutes of your time. By participating in this study you will help us to better understand how visitors experience participatory art so that we can develop improved strategies for engaging the public with complex social issues using this method. If you’d like more information about the study, please read the consent information here (PDF). If you are interested in setting up an interview, you can download and submit your gameplay data at the end of the game and express interest in an interview. Alternatively, after you play you can fill out this Qualtrics survey and the research team will contact you.
This study is supervised by:
Lora Oehlberg – Professor
Faculty of Science, Department of Computer Science
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board has approved this research study (ID number: REB19-0395).
