In Two Texts on Technology: The Ideal of Technology, Technology and the New Culture, Kiyoshi Miki argues that the mechanical machines of modernity have severed the intimate relationship that tools once shared with humanity. He contends that Eastern technological traditions, rooted in the cultivation of humanity and spirit, offer a vital counterpoint to the dematerialized machines of the West. Miki calls for a reclamation of these traditions as a form of resistance to the alienating effects of modern technology. Reflecting on these ideas, I am struck by how contemporary machines often stand in opposition to nature, posing a tangible threat to both humanity and the environment. Driven by capitalist ideals of progress, these machines prioritize efficiency, speed, and resource consumption, disconnecting us from the natural world and the earth itself.
This raises a critical question: What alternative forms can machines take? As Miki suggests, a new culture of technology is needed to realign humanity with its spiritual and ecological roots. In exploring this possibility, I challenge the prevailing notion that machines must be fast, efficient, and utilitarian. Instead, I ask: Can machines serve as mediators between humans and the spiritual world? This line of inquiry draws me to Daoist traditions of writing, where words are imbued with spiritual significance and used as conduits for communication with the divine. In Daoist esoteric practices, texts are not merely informational but are seen as sacred instructions capable of bridging the human and spiritual realms.
Machines, too, operate through software and code—modern forms of text that carry their own logic and meaning. Viewing code through the lens of Daoist practices reveals its potential as a medium for spiritual dialogue. This perspective inspired CLOUD SCRIPTS, a generative art installation and conceptual machine that explores the asemic nature of Daoist Cloud Seals (Yúnzhuàn 雲篆) as a form of communication between humans and the spiritual world. Rooted in shamanistic traditions from the pre-Han period, Cloud Seals draw inspiration from cloud formations, which were believed to embody the movements of spirits. By extracting a corpus of Cloud Seals from Daoist scriptures and training them using machine learning, the installation generates a series of talismans. These talismans, intentionally devoid of specific pictorial meaning, symbolize my attempt to engage in a dialogue with the spiritual realm. The data and software I create function as a letter to the spiritual world, articulated through the medium of machines.
