Goreng: My Journey in Building an AI Agent for Curated Artist Networks

February 24, 2025

Mama Magnet, a curatorial unit led by Tulika Ahuja and Shivram Gopinath, that make art experiences to foster dialogue, were confronted with a unique challenge: how to automatically match users with curated dynamic artists based on project briefs that go far beyond mere availability or artistic medium. In creative work, success hinges on nuanced details—artists’ values, the causes they support, and the subtleties of their project histories. Traditional databases simply couldn’t capture these layers.

That's where Goreng comes in.

Named after the Malay word for "fried," the Goreng AI agent is trained to find thoughtful creative connections. As Shivram reflected on the project (and the challenge of expanding Mama Magnet from Singapore to Amsterdam):

"Alongside discovering the wonders of herring and acclimatising tropical bodies to endless grey, we have been developing a model where AI doesn't replace artists, but finds them."

This conversational AI helps define project briefs, spark ideas, and match users with exceptional artists—from digital illustration and animation to sound design, murals, XR/AR, immersive installations, and more.

How Goreng Works

Goreng combines several intuitive processes that traditional software development can’t match.

Profile Analysis

It reviews both artist’s portfolios and project descriptions, aligning the project brief with the artist’s vision.

Curiosity

By asking the right questions about the brief, Goreng assesses value alignment and project history, seeking meaningful creative matches.

Intuition

Instead of conventional coding, we refined the AI’s instructions step by step to capture the nuances of creative matchmaking.

Real-World Benefits

For Mama Magnet, Goreng has transformed creative matchmaking. With a database carefully curated by Tulika Ahuja—encompassing around 100 exceptional artists across Asia and Europe—Goreng reduces manual matching from days to minutes. It ensures that creative matches are driven by shared interests, clear alignment, and craft—not just clout.

This isn’t about replacing human insight; it’s about enhancing it. As Shivram Gopinath notes:

"Hot from the wok of Mama Magnet, Goreng is a conversational AI designed to help you define project briefs, spark ideas, and get matched with a curated network of artists."

In practice, this means quickly connecting with creative talent that resonates with your vision, streamlining the curation process, and fostering more meaningful collaborations. Having a live match-making tool that can be used by the team to find the right artists for the right projects is a game changer. It creates immediate inspiration to fuel conversations with project leaders, clients and partners.

Looking forward

The Mama Magnet team is always working on improving Goreng. They plan to teach the AI about recognising invisible and emotional labour in creative work, make cross-cultural project matching more approachable, and build tools such as image detection for smoother project collaboration.

Additionally, Mama Magnet is expanding Goreng into a platform that talks directly with artists, helping them share portfolio details, interests, preferences, and even the kinds of projects they’d rather avoid. The goal is to create a culture of care by keeping Goreng free for all artists and potential collaborators.

From Traditional Apps to AI Agents

Before Goreng became an AI agent, Mama Magnet considered developing a traditional app or even a chatbot. However, they weren't entirely convinced it would solve their problem. That's when I suggested a different approach: training an AI agent to deliver a conversational experience, specifically designed for this kind of nuanced matchmaking. That's when we decided to collaborate to realise this idea.

A New Era for Artist Matchmaking

Goreng isn't just a tool—it's part of a shift towards smarter, more meaningful creative collaborations. With AI-driven insights and artist-centered curation, Goreng is changing the way artists and clients find each other, making the process faster, simpler, and ultimately more inspiring.

This journey with Mama Magnet has been an exciting one, and I look forward to seeing how Goreng continues to evolve. If you're in the creative industry and looking for the right artists for your project, Goreng might just be the perfect solution.

Tulika Ahuja
Shivram Gopinath
of Mama Magnet

Igor Hoogerwoord
February 24, 2025