Techno-Utopia
Senior Thesis Project
Exploring the relationship between a utopia & embroidery, creating and translating distinctions between the two aspects.
Sept 2023 — Dec 2023
Thesis Statement
I want to demonstrate the range of historical Bangladeshi embroidery having evolved from hand to machine and how it will be impacted through the idea of utopianism intertwined with technological advancement.
Relationship between techno-utopia and embroidery
• Using embroidery and AI to represent how cultural significance and meaning gets lost when translating from one medium to another
• Creating distinctions between material and tactility by producing hand work and digital outputs of the same concept
Main Focus
People who are of a different culture and background
• Those who are unaware of the Bangladeshi culture and history
• Open to understanding a different perspective of the culture
Bringing light to the idea of cultural progression from the past, present, and what could be of the future
• Using cultural elements of the country to inform and educate the audience
• Focusing on analog formats instead of digital to increase accessibility to a wider range of people
Examples of traditional Bangladeshi embroidery, often depicting people, animals, and plants in all different kinds of colors and varieties.
Different AI generations when asking the software, Dall-E, to recreate its own version of embroidery.
A set of examples of AI generation when it was provided an image taken from part of the actual embroidery and asked to ‘enhance’ what it was given.
It can clearly be observed that the AI could not differentiate the different kinds of colors and patterns, often combining the each element amongst its surroundings.
Before the final AI generation, these generations were done to see how the software would interpret its own embroidery, while working alongside an image of the embroidery it was given.
This piece is a self-made representation of authentic Bangladeshi embroidery. It incorporates several elements that, as a Bangladeshi myself, I believe represent the culture. As you can see, the designs are intricate and feature a lot of colors and details. While none of the elements tell a specific story, they depict various imagery and representations of animals, nature, and cultural motifs. The vibrant and colorful patterns make it eye-catching and invite viewers to appreciate every little detail in the embroidery.
This final AI generation was created by using a photo of the physical embroidery as a prompt. It resulted in various interpretations and variations, influenced by the gaps and nuances present in the original design. This process highlights a limitation of AI: despite being given a direct image to generate from, it struggles to produce a clear or accurate representation of the embroidery. This raises the question of whether AI is beneficial or detrimental in such creative endeavors. In this instance, I would argue that AI does not significantly contribute to capturing the essence of authentic Bangladeshi embroidery. The piece generated by AI does not fully convey the meticulous work and dedication that embroiderers put into crafting such designs. It demonstrates that faster production does not necessarily equate to achieving the highest quality of work.