Yona

Yona was created by Auxuman, a company that builds virtual entertainers. Yona is the brainchild of musician Ash Koosha and artist Isabella Winthrop, who programmed her with the ability to create her own lyrics, chords and melodies. The result is atmospheric electronic music that has complexity and emotional depth that belies its ‘artificial’ production. Yona develops in accordance with aggregate data of users online, and calls  us to consider collective consciousness, machine creativity and online ownership.

The evening begins with a conversation between Ash, Auxuman co-founder Negar Shaghaghi and Wire deputy editor Emily Bick, focusing on the creation of Yona; how and why she came into existence, and what might be next, as well as the wider topic of AI and creativity. The event concludes with a multi-media performance by Yona.