Urban Oracle

Urban Oracle
Ultravioletto (Italy)
Location: Pontoon near Red Dot Design Museum

Twenty-four illuminated letters are suspended along the pontoon’s edge, their light reflected in the water below.

Red buttons stand at three points along the boardwalk. When pressed, light pulses through the letters steadily like a heartbeat, triggering thought-provoking AI-generated messages inspired by Singapore’s past, present and future.

Urban Oracle is Ultravioletto's reimagining of divination. Where ancient pilgrims once sought wisdom from temple oracles, modern society now turns to digital systems and algorithms for guidance. Visitors can consult Urban Oracle in a similar fashion, as it merges cultural heritage with environmental imperatives in its answers, drawing on ancient knowledge while gently guiding us towards a more sustainable future.

About the artist

Ultravioletto is a multimedia art and interaction design studio that explores the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds. Their practice combines architecture, design and storytelling with emerging technologies to forge new expressive art forms.

Their multidisciplinary team of designers, creative coders, 3D artists and researchers pursues experimental paths, driven by innovation. The studio strives to create interactive and immersive experiences that transport audiences beyond reality's limits, generating environments where physical and digital realms intertwine to produce new, hybrid realities. 

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