Ahmad AlAttar: Human in the Loop

Human in the Loop is a sound-based interactive installation that takes the form of a game of hide-and-seek between visitors and an unseen algorithm. Hanging ropes are suspended from the ceiling and visitors are invited to pull on them; each pull interrupts the continuous ambient sounds of nature with a brief, glitch-like sound. At first, these responses may feel random, but with repetition, patterns begin to emerge; and when the correct rope is found, the system responds with a distinct and heightened auditory moment – a brief reward that signals discovery. Almost immediately, the algorithm relocates, hiding once again within the field of ropes, and the search resets.

So what begins as playful interaction gradually becomes an act of careful listening and navigation. Human in the Loop reflects a contemporary paradox: we take pleasure in interaction even as it draws us deeper into technological rhythms that are increasingly difficult to step away from.

Ahmad AlAttar, currently is a Senior Robotics Engineer at Dubai Future Labs, was a participant in the 2024 cycle of the 421 Artistic Development Program (ADP), facilitated by Jolaine Frizzell. During preparation for the exhibition he was also mentored by Khalid AlAwadhi, Founder & CEO of Remal, and Dr Pradeep Sharma, Director of the Arts, Culture and Heritage program at the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation.

To 13 September.