The AR‑mediated interaction in Koi‑Dayski’s installations underscores the blurring of spectator/creator boundaries. By allowing visitors to shape sound and visual overlays in real time, the works embody participatory aesthetics that align with Jenkins’ (2006) participatory culture framework. This raises ethical and curatorial questions: how much agency should be delegated to audiences, and how does this affect the integrity of the artist’s intent?
The concept of distributed authorship—where creative agency is spread across multiple actors, tools, and algorithms—has been explored in the context of networked music performance (Sturman, 2019) and interactive installations (Grau, 2003). Miller (2017) posits that code functions as both medium and collaborator, complicating traditional credit structures. In visual art, Kwon (2002) and Murray (2019) have highlighted how material agency (e.g., kinetic mechanisms) contributes to a “non‑human” authorship.
For readers inspired to dive deeper, the primary hub for Mila Koi and Damion Dayski is their joint Instagram account (@KoiAndDayski), which posts a mix of stills, Reels of their shoot setups, and cryptic captions that feel like lore drops. mila koi and damion dayski
They are less active on TikTok, though fan-edits of their work have garnered millions of views under tags like #DarkRomanceAesthetic and #CyberMuse. For long-form content, their YouTube channel features documentary-style "making of" videos and ambient visual albums.
Warning to new viewers: Their content frequently explores mature themes including horror, sensuality, and body horror. It is recommended for adults 18+. Data were analyzed through thematic coding (Braun &
| Title | Year | Medium | Impact | |-----------|----------|------------|------------| | Echoes of the Fold | 2020 | Large‑scale textile installations + immersive soundscape | Explored the intergenerational trauma of Nepal’s 2015 earthquake; attracted >150 k visitors worldwide via virtual tour. | | Data Rivers | 2022 | Web‑based data visualization + AR | Turned real‑time river flow data from the Ganges basin into an evolving visual symphony; used by NGOs for climate‑awareness campaigns. | | OpenLens (ongoing) | 2023‑present | Open‑source software + community workshops | Enables neighborhoods to map pollution hotspots; adopted in over 30 cities across four continents. |
Mila Koi and Damion Dayski’s collaborative practice exemplifies how interdisciplinary tension, distributed authorship, and audience participation converge to produce immersive new‑media installations. Their work demonstrates that processual negotiation—rather than final product alone—offers fertile ground for scholarly inquiry into contemporary artistic production. By foregrounding the material, technical, and social dimensions of co‑creation, this case study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of authorship, agency, and experience in the digital age. anonymised) revealed a “pair‑programming” workflow
Data were analyzed through thematic coding (Braun & Clarke, 2006). An initial inductive coding phase generated 45 codes, which were then clustered into higher‑order themes aligned with the research questions: media hybridity, distributed authorship, and audience co‑creation. A reflexive memo‑writing process ensured analytic transparency.
Both artists reported shared ownership of the final artefact, yet they delineated domains of technical expertise:
| Domain | Primary Contributor | Supporting Role | |--------|----------------------|-----------------| | Physical fabrication (metalwork, kinetic mechanisms) | Mila Koi | Dayski (sensor integration) | | Audio synthesis & spatialisation | Damion Dayski | Koi (designing interaction triggers) | | AR development & UX design | Joint effort (shared GitHub repo) | Both (code review) | | Conceptual narrative | Joint brainstorming sessions | Both (iterative storyboards) |
The GitHub repository (private, anonymised) revealed a “pair‑programming” workflow, with commits alternating between visual‑design branches and sound‑engine branches. This code‑level interleaving operationalised distributed authorship, making the software artefact a jointly authored object rather than a hand‑off from one partner to the other.