Inside the Curiosity Factory - Carol's Little World

An orb resting in a tree as part of the Curiosity Factory project — “The Orb,” by Carol Schiraldi

What is The Curiosity Factory?

The Curiosity Factory grew from a period of reflection.

During the pandemic, we turned inward. It was a period of extended navel gazing, if we’re being honest. And the times? The times made us ask existential questions. At the crux of those questions, we collectively asked ourselves: who are we, really?

An organic form that appears to be cells inside the Curiosity Factory — “Jigsaw of Cells,” by Carol Schiraldi

Here Come the Robots

Fast forward to the period of AI. Here come the robots.

Scales from a tree showing an organic form inside the Curiosity Factory — “Tree Scales,” by Carol Schiraldi

But AI didn’t just bring automation — it reframed the question. Instead of asking who we are, we began looking outward. We asked something different: what does it mean to be human? What are the boundaries of humanity, and where do we fit within them?

This work lives in that space.

A reflection that appears to be like a flame from inside the Curiosity Factory — “A Subtle Fire,” by Carol Schiraldi

It explores how we imagine AI — what we think it looks like, what form we give it, how we recognize intelligence, and why we so often feel the need to make it look back at us.

Rust on a farm silo from inside the Curiosity Factory — “Exquisite Rust,” by Carol Schiraldi

Through abstraction, architecture, and organic forms, the images become part of an ongoing process of discovery.

A downtown view of Austin Texas showcasing a tech company from inside the Curiosity Factory — “A Slow Churn,” by Carol Schiraldi

Not answers, exactly. 

But a way of staying with the questions — about authorship, perception, and what it means to exist in a world increasingly shaped by invisible systems.

A data center in Austin shown to appear to be exploding from inside the Curiosity Factory — “Exploding Data Center,” by Carol Schiraldi

A New Body Of Work, A New Way of Seeing

The Curiosity Factory is an evolving body of work. It moves beyond my decor-oriented pieces into a longer-form exploration — one that I hope to continue developing toward a museum or gallery context. This is the beginning of that process.

A confessional booth in a church from the Curiosity Factory — “Confessional,” by Carol Schiraldi

I hope you’ll come along on my journey inside The Curiosity Factory. I’ll be sharing updates in my journal here as the work continues to evolve, and you can explore available work in my gallery.

A stained glass window reflects on the floor of a church from the Curiosity Factory — “Floor Pattern,” by Carol Schiraldi

Shared of stained glass block a view from the Curiosity Factory — “Shards in the Window,” by Carol Schiraldi

A figure overlooks an interior view from the Curiosity Factory — “She Watches,” by Carol Schiraldi

An electronic eye as a type of surveillance from the Curiosity Factory — “Electronic Eye,” by Carol Schiraldi

Until next time…

What is The Curiosity Factory?

Here Come the Robots

A New Body Of Work, A New Way of Seeing

Leave a Reply Cancel reply