The Royal Dutch Crown
When King William II needed a crown for his 1840 inauguration, the state treasury was nearly empty. Instead of using real diamonds and pearls, an Amsterdam jeweler crafted a crown out of gold-plated silver. The “jewels” were pieces of colored glass backed with colored foil to make them shine, and the “pearls” were made of pasted fish scales and glass. The crown was designed to be just convincing enough to govern. It functioned as a sovereign object because it was framed, displayed, and accepted as one.
Amazon’s Deep Learning
In 2016, Amazon unveiled its “Just Walk Out” technology. Shoppers were told they could scan their app, grab whatever they wanted off the shelves, and simply walk out the door. The system was said to be powered by a combination of computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning algorithms that tracked every movement. However, 700 of the 1000 sales underwent manual review by low-paid human workers in India. The algorithm did not possess the autonomy that it was claimed to have, but it was framed, displayed, and accepted as a successful shopping solution.
The Royal Dutch Crown / Amazon’s Deep Learning
Electronic displays, brass, acrylic, wood
30x30x45 cm
2026
© dirkes.studio