The artist: My work "Digital Shamans: Reimagining Ancient Spirits through AI" explores the convergence of ancient spiritual practices and emerging technologies across cultural boundaries. While rooted in Korean shamanic traditions, this piece acknowledges that shamanic practices represent a universal human impulse found across civilizations—from Siberian shamans to Amazonian curanderos, Nordic völvas to African diviners.
Through algorithmically-generated entities performing ritualistic movements, I visualize how these diverse yet parallel traditions might collectively evolve in our technological era. The digital shamans manifest as hybrid beings that transcend specific cultural identities while honoring their distinctive origins, suggesting a pan-human spiritual heritage that persists across time and space.
As we face unprecedented technological acceleration and accompanying uncertainties, this work proposes that humanity may instinctively turn to evolved forms of shamanic practice—now mediated through artificial intelligence—to navigate unpredictability. Just as traditional shamans helped communities confront the unknown, these digital entities represent our enduring need for spiritual intermediaries, particularly in an AI-dominated future where algorithmic unpredictability mirrors cosmic uncertainty.
The installation deliberately employs tension between handcrafted elements and computational processes, creating a visual dialogue that questions how our oldest spiritual technologies might interface with our newest technological spiritualities.
Edition Information: Limited edition of 5 prints.
Tahn is a media artist whose works explore the convergence of traditional cultural motifs and cutting-edge digital technology. Deeply influenced by Korean heritage and global spiritual traditions, Tahn investigates how ancient beliefs and practices evolve in the era of artificial intelligence. Through multimedia installations, digital art, and algorithmically generated visuals, Tahn’s projects reflect on human spirituality, cultural continuity, and technological transformation. Tahn’s works have been exhibited internationally, including in Seoul, London, New York, and Rome.