Mirror Girl is a project that explores artificial intelligence through the lens of a 1940s advertisement. Set in an warped past where current emerging technologies intersect with wartime anxieties and post-war hope, the work presents a new interpretation of AI as it might have been introduced to the mainstream decades earlier.

At the heart of the exhibition is a video styled after mid-century advertising. It introduces ‘Mirror Girl’, an AI companion designed to offer emotional support during times of loneliness and uncertainty. With vintage film aesthetics and  period-specific messaging, It creates a tone that feels both sincere and ironic. The contextual research behind this project, allows the two characters to represent different era’s of society. Asami represents a true 1940s woman, representing domesticity in the house dress, yet incorporating technology we’d consider outdated in today’s era, showcasing the rise of women in the work force. Mirror Girl, on the other hand, represents a more refined era of technology, incorporating that into a 1940s silhouette ball dress, of a higher social background.

Mirror Girl raises questions about the nature of emotional intelligence in machines, and how humans seek connection through technology. By recontextualizing contemporary concerns about AI within a historical framework, the project highlights how technology can evolve with human emotions. The heart beat is a major part of this project, being used as a narrative tool within the performance. The ending of the performance piece showcasing their connection through one heartbeat, is a symbol of self-reflection, pushing the question: What sets us apart from AI besides our heart?

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