The Lens of AI: Decomposer Of Information

April 2024

Touchdesigner and Stable Diffusion animations

Click here to read the essay

In this artwork, artificial intelligence (AI) is envisioned as a digital decomposer, analogous to biological decomposers like fungi and bacteria that break down organic substances into simpler forms. In this cyberspace, AI decomposes the complex data structures of fossils, which are symbolic of ancient, seemingly immutable objects. These fossils, collected from the southern coastlines of Folkstone and Charmouth in the UK, are placed under a microscope camera. As the camera zooms in and out, AI-generated forms resembling slime molds or fungi cling to and animate the fossils. This interaction makes the fossils appear to twist and struggle, eventually disintegrating into a digital sea and breaking down into atomized pixels.

This visual experiment employing a simple metaphor to bridge micro and macro aesthetics, also contemplates the essence of form and the universal applicability of fractal patterns found in nature. By focusing on regions where the camera's clarity is highest, the artwork suggests AI's preference for 'clean' and structured data, symbolizing its role in deconstructing complex structures previously deemed indestructible. This dynamic metaphor not only explores the boundaries between digital and organic lifeforms but also provokes thoughts on how everything in the digital age—from arrays and pixels to extensive data constructs—can be decomposed into fundamental elements like code and numbers, reflecting an ongoing narrative of transformation and perception. The project prompts deeper reflections on the role of technology, such as AI, and information within the cyber ecosystem, urging us to reconsider their evolving influence and implications in our interconnected world.

AI-generated forms

Processes and Screenshots

WIP at Goldsmiths Whited Head Building, June 6 2024

Exhibition at Beijing, Park Art Space,
"UnderGround and Contemporary Shelters",
May 21-June 1, 2024

"Time From Underneath Shoreline"

This artwork explores human subjective transformations of time and space through the collection, transportation, and display of fossil fragments from the southern coastlines of the UK. The fossils, personally collected by the artist from Folkstone, Charmouth, and Herne Bay, mostly originate from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, ranging from 180 million to 66 million years ago. They were sent to Beijing via modern logistics systems. In the exhibition, these fossils are sealed in transparent bags and affixed to cardboard surfaces with white square correction stickers. The geographical displacement overlaps with the vast temporal disparities, layering the lengthy natural history with the fleeting modernity of humanity, thereby challenging and reconstructing our perceptions of time and space.

Fossils symbolize ancient, seemingly immutable objects. The white square correction stickers serve as visual metaphors: uniform, pristine, and seemingly equal in measure in any space as a standard unit. To human observers, these "pixels" represent the fundamental building blocks of computer graphics and screens that can be endlessly assembled and extended. They also signify humanity's intervention, decomposition, reconstruction, and "correction" of the silent, solid, and nearly eternal natural history in the current era of anthropocentrism.

References

Inoue, S. and Kondo, S. (2016). Suture pattern formation in ammonites and the unknown rear mantle structure. Scientific Reports, [online] 6(1), p.33689. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/srep33689.

Patreon. (n.d.). Get more from DotSimulate on Patreon. [online] Available at: https://www.patreon.com/dotsimulate/posts [Accessed 21 Apr. 2024].

Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz and Lindenmayer, A. (2012). The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants. Springer Science & Business Media.

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Audioreactive Graffiti – TouchDesigner x StreamDiffusion Tutorial 1. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9i3X2jxYLc&t=1706s [Accessed 21 Apr. 2024].

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). BLOB TRACK INSTANCING (AUDIOREACTIVE) - TOUCHDESIGNER TUTORIAL. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtP1Ae35RqY.

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Real-time diffusion in TouchDesigner - StreamdiffusionTD Setup + Install + Settings. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4rlC6y1ahw&t=240s [Accessed 21 Apr. 2024].

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Sonic Flowers – TouchDesigner x StableDiffusion Tutorial 1. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wpn_3JNaIc&t=183s [Accessed 21 Apr. 2024].