# Feed the Fires

An AI-driven interactive firepit installation where audiences share stories with a fire spirit that transforms their narratives into immersive experiences.

- Date: 2025-09-23
- Categories: project, installation
- Tags: collaboration, gallery, installation, Toronto, AI, Indigenous, storytelling, interactive
- Image: https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_storm.jpg

**Feed the Fires** is a transformative installation presented by the *Sôhkêpayin Collective* at [InterAccess](https://www.interaccess.org/) in Toronto from **September 10 - October 11, 2025** (Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-6pm).

A firepit with mystic logs and glowing smoke beckons the audience. The spirit of the fire speaks to them, guiding them to share a story which the spirit will carry to the spirit world.

[Video](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feed_the_fires_v2_audio.mp4)

## The Experience

A large language model (LLM) plays the role of the fire spirit listening to the audience stories. It interprets the stories and imagines the location of the story, asking questions when it needs more details. It uses this information to generate dream-like images in an immersive environment on the walls all around the audience. The central fire reacts with movement and color according to the interaction with the audience, providing an abstract reflection of the soul of the story.

A 4'x4' firepit contains a projector that projects onto the top surface of frosted acrylic. LED lights and "coals" flicker with shifting light. A water vapor machine and fans create billowing "smoke" from the center of the firepit when the audience enters the room and the projected fire comes to life. Four wooden benches surround the firepit, inviting visitors to sit. The room is dark. The AI fire spirit invites the audience to sit and share a story. When the audience tells their story, the walls begin to color—at first blurry, then gradually resolving into clearer imaginings of where the story took place, transporting the audience back in time and memory.

## About the Project

Presented by the *Sôhkêpayin Collective*, *Feed the Fires* is a transformative exhibition resulting from a unique collaboration during a trip to Japan, organized by the Ainu. Five Indigenous creatives from the Five Directions came together in the East to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and environmental stewardship. Through sharing knowledge and traditions related to fire, the participants sparked discussions on how technology can deepen our connection with nature.

This partnership project emphasizes "more-than-human" collaborations, aiming to foster new understandings of interdependence within our ecosystems. By utilizing AI technologies alongside established datasets, the exhibition seeks to stimulate community engagement and promote reciprocal relationships between the digital and natural worlds.

Together, we challenge ourselves to envision a future where both sentient beings—natural and digital—collaborate respectfully to shape sustainable outcomes for our environment. Feed the Fires invites viewers to reflect on their role in this evolving narrative.

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## How it Works

*Feed the Fires* combines traditional storytelling practices with cutting-edge AI technology:

 - **Interactive Fire Spirit**  
  An AI-powered voice agent listens to visitors' stories and responds as the spirit of the fire, asking questions and guiding the narrative experience.

- **Immersive Visual Generation**  
  Real-time AI image generation creates dream-like visualizations of story locations on the surrounding walls, evolving from abstract to detailed as stories unfold.

- **Ambient Audio Generation**
  Real-time audio is also generated in response to the storytelling, providing an ambient environment and audio cues. 

- **Responsive Fire Display**  
  The central firepit projection reacts dynamically to the audience interaction with the fire spirit through movement and color changes.

- **Atmospheric Effects**  
  Water vapor and fans create realistic "smoke" effects, while projections and LEDs simulate flickering flames.

- **Spatial Design**  
  Four wooden benches arranged around the firepit create an intimate gathering space reminiscent of traditional storytelling circles.

## Technical Details

- **Fire Spirit** played by *OpenAI GPT 4o*.
  - Speech-to-text by [Assembly AI](https://www.assemblyai.com/)
  - Text-to-speech and voice by [Cartesia](https://cartesia.ai/)
  - Chat agent powered by [Pipecat by Daily](https://github.com/pipecat-ai/pipecat)
- Chat transcript converted to image and audio prompts by *OpenAI ChatGPT 4o*.
- Image prompt to panorama images (base image + 3 tiles) by [Juggernaut XI Lightning by RunDiffusion](https://www.rundiffusion.com/juggernaut-xi) (*SDXL* custom model).
- Audio prompt to audio by [TangoFlux](https://github.com/declare-lab/Tangoflux).
- [Open source code](https://github.com/RKelln/experimance/tree/fire/experimance) (work in progress).

---

## Credits

### Presented by the *Sôhkêpayin Collective*

**Indigenous Ainu Host**
- Mayunkiki (Mai Hachiya)

**Indigenous Led Contributors**
- Susan Blight
- Rheanne Chartrand
- Dr. Desiree Hernandez Ibinarriaga
- Dr. James Oliver
- Howard Munroe
- Jason Baerg

**Allied Contributors**
- Fran Rawlings
- Calla Lee
- Ziyan Hossain

**Japanese Contributors**
- Kanoko Tamura
- Tomoko Momiyama

**Technical and Creative Contributors**
- **Ryan Kelln** (AI integration: custom Python software)
- [**Kyle Duffield**](https://www.kyleduffield.com/) (fire projection & LEDs: TouchDesigner and custom software)
- [**Cultivate Collective**](https://www.8kollective.com/): **Mike Dunn** & **Robbie Foti** (firepit, water vapour machine and other fabrication)

---

## Images

Photography by [Benjamin Lappalainen](https://www.blap64.xyz) [@blapphoto](https://www.instagram.com/blapphoto/):

![Feed the Fires interactive AI installation firepit with mystical flames and smoke](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_fire.jpg)

The Central Firepit - Feed the Fires
![Feed the Fires AI-generated fire imagery projected in installation space](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_fires.jpg)

Wild Fire Story

![Feed the Fires aurora imagery generated by AI in response to audience stories](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_aurora.jpg)

Aurora Visualization
![Feed the Fires cabin scene created by AI storytelling technology](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_cabin.jpg)

Cabin Story Visualization

![Feed the Fires basilica imagery generated by AI based on visitor narratives](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_basilica.jpg)

Basilica Story Scene
![Feed the Fires bookstore visualization created by AI storytelling system](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_bookstore.jpg)

Bookstore Memory

![Feed the Fires NYC skyline generated by AI from audience story](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_nycskyline.jpg)

NYC Skyline Vision
![Feed the Fires stadium scene visualized by AI storytelling installation](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_stadium.jpg)

Stadium Memory

![Feed the Fires storm imagery created by AI in response to visitor stories](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_storm.jpg)

Storm Visualization
![Feed the Fires storm scene generated by AI storytelling technology](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_storm2.jpg)

Storm Scene #2

Photography by [Liam Mackenzie](https://www.liammackenzie.com/) [@liammackenziephoto](https://www.instagram.com/liammackenziephoto/):

![Feed the Fires lake scene generated by AI in response to visitor stories](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_lake.jpg)

Lake Story Visualization
![Feed the Fires field imagery created by AI storytelling technology](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_field.jpg)

Field Memory Scene

![Feed the Fires full moon scene visualized by AI based on audience narratives](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_fullmoon.jpg)

Full Moon Visualization
![Feed the Fires Thai market scene generated by AI storytelling installation](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_thaimarket.jpg)

Thai Market Story

![Feed the Fires park imagery created by AI in response to visitor stories](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_park.jpg)

Park Scene Visualization
![Feed the Fires waterfall scene generated by AI storytelling technology](https://www.ryankelln.com/img/feed_the_fires/feedthefires_waterfall.jpg)

Waterfall Memory

Web page: https://www.ryankelln.com/project/feed-the-fires/