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Let the Monster Speak is an interactive, AI-based educational game designed for families. It creates a space where parents and children can explore complex social issues together through the imaginative lens of monster narratives.
Monster Narratives
The project is grounded in research on how monsters are created and why humans need monster narratives. It introduces four distinct monster types:
* Scapegoat – monsters invented to cover up wrongdoing
* Mirror – monsters used to define and reinforce what is considered "human"
* Mascot – monsters exploited for economic or symbolic value
* Hero Maker – monsters that exist to produce heroes
Each type corresponds to critical themes such as rumor-making, discrimination and social hierarchy, media manipulation, and post-human perspectives.
The core value of the project lies in making these abstract concepts approachable and discussable, especially for young audiences. Visitors are invited and encouraged to shape the narrative by allowing the “monster” to speak, and in doing so, expose the truths we often hide behind fantasy.
In this experience, visitors engage with an AI narrative system that generates unique monster stories and corresponding AR monster images. After selecting a theme, they are guided through an interactive experience where they co-create stories with the AI and reflect on topics surrounding social dynamics, power structures, and media influence.
About Xiaomin Fan and Zhen Wu
Zhen Wu is a researcher, designer, and interactive artist interested in playful interaction, sensorial interfaces, and emergent art. She is currently a PhD candidate, and her research focuses on how sensors can be integrated into emergent interactive art
