Lizard King at Spa Day on the Neon Isles

“Lizard King at Spa Day on the Neon Isles” comes to us by way of Zach Blas’ multimedia installation “The Doors” (2019), which explores psychedelia, drug use, and artificial intelligence. Looking closely at Silicon Valley’s connection to Californian counterculture, the work brings together a constellation of references, including Aldous Huxley’s writings on mescaline and LSD and the 1960s rock band The Doors, fronted by Jim Morrison (nicknamed “the Lizard King”). Spoken word poetry generated by artificial intelligence neural networks — trained on corporate nootropics literature and Morrison’s writing and voice — is recited by a CGI lizard modeled on the prehistoric Barbaturex morrisoni (named after Morrison). The work alludes to Silicon Valley’s transhumanist desires to hack and perfect body and mind. In contrast to a “turn on, tune in, drop out” ethos, taking nootropics and microdosing LSD have gained popularity as “smart drugs” designed to unlock the mind to labor harder and faster.