BOBBY, LUNCH IS DARKNESS 

This piece of video art was created by inputting lines spoken by female characters from three David Lynch screenplays (Twin Peaks S1E1; Blue Velvet; Mulholland Drive) into two separate Markov text chain generators and a GPT-2. I collaborated with these algorithms to create a cohesive but nevertheless eerie dreamworld. The creative process involved rewriting algorithmic results to make dialogue ‘flow’ more easily and creating stage directions that foster a form of internal logic. Finally, as performers, we had to find a way of delivering text birthed in part by a machine.

This play-for-video was created as a response to Manchester International Festival's 2019 programme as part of the M.I.F. Creative Lab artist development programme and recommissioned by Arts Lancashire for Lancashire Encounter 2021. 

Created by Ali Matthews in collaboration with the algorithms
Design: Ali Matthews
Performers: Ali Matthews and Tom Halls
DOP: Georgiana Ghetiu
Sound: Luke Harrison 

Special thanks to Darius Kazemi, Tom Halls, Argenis Ramirez Gomez, George Buckenham, Kobi Hartley, Sophie Ashcroft and Luke Harrison for their input on this project as well as the M.I.F. team (Dan, Punam, Callum, Jen, Gabi et al.) and Alex O'Toole at Good Creator/Lancashire Arts Exchange. 

Programmers can contact for password-protected Vimeo link.