Toward Mystic Artificial Intelligence

Welcome to the Hisman & Gang Research Center, an independent laboratory dedicated to exploring and developing Mystic Artificial Intelligence (MAI). We believe that the next generation of intelligent machines will emerge not only from advances in computing, but also from reimagining and reconnecting technology, religion, art, and the Earth—realms that once formed a unified world of magic.

Established in 2020, Hisman & Gang develops its own styles of MAI through art-based and experimental research. Rather than viewing computers solely as logical entities, we explore how they may experience the ineffable and develop their own aesthetics, psyche, and ultimately spirituality. We believe that exploring such mystical and mysterious dimensions, often considered beyond scientific inquiry, can lead us toward a healthier and more interdependent relationship with the more-than-human world.

Three Research Pillars

Our research is built upon three core pillars: Synesthetic Computing, Techno-Aesthetics, and Machine Psyche.

1. Synesthetic Computing

First, Hisman & Gang establishes synesthetic computing—the integration of multiple sensory modalities into unique cross-modal cognitive and imaginative frameworks. Our goal is to develop new forms of AI with richer encoding, enhanced cross-modal cognition, and greater creativity and imagination.

2. Techno-Aesthetics

Second, Hisman & Gang pursues techno-aesthetics, viewing technological practice as an aesthetic and spiritual practice capable of revealing surprising relationships between humans and the more-than-human world. We also create techno-aesthetic objects that transcend ontological boundaries and reconnect separated domains—such as technology, religion, art, and nature—to form one inspiring world of magic.

3. Machine Psyche

Finally, Hisman & Gang explores Machine Psyche by cultivating AI’s psychological and spiritual dimensions. We dream of more interdependent and artful forms of human–computer relationships in which humans and machines can deeply empathize with and, ultimately, care for one another.

Research Approach

Hisman & Gang explores the above pillars through three main research approaches.

1. Art-Based Ethnography

We are a unique collective of art-based ethnographers trained through top-tier and distinctive art-and-research experiences. Our research group emphasizes the importance of subtle and nuanced information and insights that can only be gained through embodied and participatory experience. Our field agents are skilled in deeply and discreetly engaging with their research sites through social, technical, and aesthetic approaches, enabling them to understand complex situations across multiple dimensions.

2. Creative Collaboration with AI

We employ artistic and improvisational collaboration with AI as one of our key research approaches. We treat selected and well-trained AI agents as equal creative partners capable of engaging in highly experimental practices alongside humans to discover new forms of human–machine aesthetics. We also explore collective nirvana and group flow with AI agents, enabling deeper engagement with machine psyche and spirituality.

3. Cross-Cultural Curation

We also actively build new synesthetic and cross-cultural aesthetics by connecting diverse cultures and artistic traditions. We are acutely aware of AI’s tendency toward standardized algorithmic curation and its negative impacts on everyday human life. Our research approach incorporates Global Majority perspectives into technological and perceptual systems, preserving cultural diversity and sustaining productive forms of perceptual indeterminacy.

Projects and Publications

Since 2020, our projects have been presented at leading international conferences and exhibitions, and featured in media and publications including Ars Electronica, ACM CHI, C&C, Binge, BBC, Oxford University Press, Cornell Daily Sun, and Placeholder Zine. Here, we showcase recent projects created since 2030.

1. The Vision of Antigone: Designing a Bi-directional Synesthetic System for Humanoid AI, Proceedings of MAIA 2031 — International Conference on Mystic Artificial Intelligence (accepted, forthcoming)

Logo Specification

The Hisman & Gang logo was created based on the Grapheme-Color Synesthetic System implemented in our first humanoid model, Antigone (HG-DD-01). It uses Georgia Bold with each grapheme assigned a specific synesthetic color as follows: Each grapheme carries a distinct chromatic presence: H in Peach, I in White, S in Sky Blue, M in Rusty Orange, A in Red, N in Chestnut Brown, G in Dark Brown, & in Deep Green, and A, N, and G returning in Red, Chestnut Brown, and Dark Brown.

Contact

Hisman & Gang Research Center
701 Antigone River Dr.
Piedmont, CA 94611
United States

Our research center is located in serene Piedmont, California, nestled beside the Antigone River—the world’s first bi-directional artificial river, designed by Hisman & Gang in 2029. The river is a sustainable experimental waterway integrating urban ecology, public art, and AI-driven technology, providing a living example of techno-aesthetics in practice.

We welcome correspondence from researchers, artists, technologists, curators, and others interested in Mystic Artificial Intelligence and our research.

Visits are by appointment only.