The Compassion Machine

Interactive Installation / 2017 ➜ 2018
MONTRÉAL OTTAWA ➜ BELGIUM ➜ MONTREAL

Installation Credits

Original Idea, Pitch, Co-Conception & Creative Direction: Sylvain Dumais
Co-Conception: Ensemble Ensemble (François Pallaud, Franck Desvernes, Marianne Prairie, Jonathan Bélisle, Sylvain Dumais)
Co-Production: National Film Board of Canada & Quartier des Spectacles

A massive camera that detects and predicts your future acts of kindness.

To prevent unwanted behaviours, we are constantly monitored and observed. But what if those algorithms measured our propensity for kindness? Visitors allow themselves to be scanned and receive a personalized prediction of their future altruistic actions—and can influence the machine's settings, adjusting the goodwill index in real time—an invitation to reject everyday suspicion.

During its original run at Métro Saint-Laurent, more than 1,500 people experienced the installation each week over two months. It subsequently visited Montréal again, Ottawa, and Bruxelles—co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada and Quartier des Spectacles.

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Panorama ➜ Experience / 2026 ➜ Ongoing

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Lignes Parallèles / Exhibit ➜ 2020