Welcome to the Center for Computational Unknowing ..... Welcome to the Center for Computational Unknowing ..... Welcome to the Center for Computational Unknowing ..... Welcome to the Center for Computational Unknowing .....
Exploring new ways of making (and unmaking) meaning with intelligent systems ..... Exploring new ways of making (and unmaking) meaning with intelligent systems ..... Exploring new ways of making (and unmaking) meaning with intelligent systems .....
 

What is Computational Unknowing?

Computational Unknowing explores new ways of making (and unmaking) meaning with, through, and at times even against, intelligent systems such as AI.

Welcome.

Systems

These automated-art-systems function with little to no human intervention. Explore the systems below, the artworks they produce and the exhibitions and conferences where they have been featured.

Evolution of nSpace
E Evolution of nSpace

Using computer vision and sound analysis to create 'pataphysical films, all in real-time. 

EnSpace

A Jagged Orbit
J A Jagged Orbit

A machine which becomes distracted from its primary task of drawing interstellar orbits.

JAGGED

The Cloud of Unknowing
C The Cloud of Unknowing

Searching for geometric patterns in a mystical text by an anonymous author of the 14th century.

CoU

Things Have Forgotten What The Shapes Are For
H Things Have Forgotten What The Shapes Are For

Forging new pathways for reading with an AI controlled laser.

THFWTSAF

The Library of Nonhuman Books
N The Library of Nonhuman Books

These books were not designed by humans.

LNHB

Regions of Interest
R Regions of Interest

Shifting the focus from individual objects to their relationships in time and space.

RoI

AI Seems to be a Verb
A AI Seems to be a Verb

Interprets spoken language as constantly evolving graphical alternatives.

AISEEMS

A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish Chance
D A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish Chance

A poetic hack of Google's (now defunct) reCAPTCHA internet security system.

ATHROW

Artworks

View the latest artworks by our automated-art-systems. You can view the artworks in chronological order using the arrows, or click any individual artwork to view the entire series from that system.

JO_lips [series of video stills]

JO_lips [series of video stills] 2025

1024px

JAGGED

AI Seems To Be A Verb

AI Seems To Be A Verb 2021

1024px

AISEEMS

A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish Chance (Print)

A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish Chance (Print) 2016

420 x 295 mm

ATHROW

Mishima [from The Library of Nonhuman Books]

Mishima [from The Library of Nonhuman Books] 2020

105 x 175 mm (closed)

LNHB

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

ROI_1611085527_vogue_rihanna

ROI_1611085527_vogue_rihanna 2021

225 x 280

RoI

THFWTSAF (Rocks and Minerals)

THFWTSAF (Rocks and Minerals) 2022

110 x 150mm

THFWTSAF

Evolution of nSpace [performed in FABRICA with MCIAA]

Evolution of nSpace [performed in FABRICA with MCIAA] 2024

4K, 30'00"

EnSpace

I Don't Know What I Think...

I Don't Know What I Think... 2025

210x110mm
JO_lips [series of video stills]

JO_lips [series of video stills] 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_lips [series of video stills]

JO_lips [series of video stills] 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_lips [series of video stills]

JO_lips [series of video stills] 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_lips [series of video stills]

JO_lips [series of video stills] 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_lips [series of video stills]

JO_lips [series of video stills] 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_lips [series of video stills]

JO_lips [series of video stills] 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_lips [series of video stills]

JO_lips [series of video stills] 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_HM (video stills from orbit)

JO_HM (video stills from orbit) 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_HM (video stills from orbit)

JO_HM (video stills from orbit) 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_HM (video stills from orbit)

JO_HM (video stills from orbit) 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_HM (video stills from orbit)

JO_HM (video stills from orbit) 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_HM (video stills from orbit)

JO_HM (video stills from orbit) 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_HM (video stills from orbit)

JO_HM (video stills from orbit) 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_HM (video stills from orbit)

JO_HM (video stills from orbit) 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_HM (video stills from orbit)

JO_HM (video stills from orbit) 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_HM (video stills from orbit)

JO_HM (video stills from orbit) 2025

1024px

JAGGED

JO_HM (video stills from orbit)

JO_HM (video stills from orbit) 2025

1024px

JAGGED

A Jagged Orbit: Kim

A Jagged Orbit: Kim 2023

JAGGED

666

666 2023

JAGGED

A Jagged Orbit: Victoria

A Jagged Orbit: Victoria 2023

235 x 290mm

JAGGED

AI Seems To Be A Verb

AI Seems To Be A Verb 2021

1024px

AISEEMS

AI Seems To Be A Verb

AI Seems To Be A Verb 2021

1024px

AISEEMS

AI Seems To Be A Verb

AI Seems To Be A Verb 2021

1024px

AISEEMS

AI Seems to be a Verb (Still image)

AI Seems to be a Verb (Still image) 2022

Various

AISEEMS

AI Seems to be a Verb (Still image)

AI Seems to be a Verb (Still image) 2022

Various

AISEEMS

AI Seems to be a Verb (Still image)

AI Seems to be a Verb (Still image) 2020

Various

AISEEMS

Series of books [from The Library of Nonhuman Books]

Series of books [from The Library of Nonhuman Books] 2020

105 x 175 mm (each book, closed)

LNHB

Perception [from The Library of Nonhuman Books]

Perception [from The Library of Nonhuman Books] 2020

105 x 175 mm (closed)

LNHB

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

Cloud of Unknowing (Book)

Cloud of Unknowing (Book) 2023

105 x 175 mm (closed)

CoU

ROI_2020500

ROI_2020500 2020

Various

RoI

ROI_1611085595_vogue

ROI_1611085595_vogue 2021

225 x 280

RoI

ROI_1611085943_vogue

ROI_1611085943_vogue 2021

225 x 280

RoI

ROI_2020512

ROI_2020512 2020

Various

RoI

ROI_2020514

ROI_2020514 2020

Various

RoI

ROI_2020515

ROI_2020515 2020

Various

RoI

ROI_2020516

ROI_2020516 2020

Various

RoI

ROI_2020500

ROI_2020500 2020

Various

RoI

THFWTSAF (Rocks and Minerals)

THFWTSAF (Rocks and Minerals) 2022

110 x 150mm

THFWTSAF

THFWTSAF (Rocks and Minerals)

THFWTSAF (Rocks and Minerals) 2022

110 x 150mm

THFWTSAF

THFWTSAF (Rocks and Minerals)

THFWTSAF (Rocks and Minerals) 2022

110 x 150mm

THFWTSAF

THFWTSAF (Rocks and Minerals)

THFWTSAF (Rocks and Minerals) 2022

110 x 150mm

THFWTSAF

Evolution of nSpace [performed in FABRICA with MCIAA]

Evolution of nSpace [performed in FABRICA with MCIAA] 2024

4K, 30'00"

EnSpace

Evolution of nSpace [performed in FABRICA with MCIAA]

Evolution of nSpace [performed in FABRICA with MCIAA] 2024

4K, 30'00"

EnSpace

I Don't Know What I Think...

I Don't Know What I Think... 2025

Various
I Don't Know What I Think...

I Don't Know What I Think... 2025

Various
I Don't Know What I Think...

I Don't Know What I Think... 2025

Various

Exhibitions

Exhibitions, screenings and performances featuring the automated-art-systems and their outcomes.

Research

Read more about the research and other activities happening in and around the CCU.

) The Center for Computational Unknowing
Legal notice

At the CCU we practice many experimental art techniques of appropriation, including computational collage where existing publications (including books and magazines) and other found printed matter, are 'cut-up' and recombined into new works. The use of these found materials means that parts of the original publications may be included in the final artworks and/or process documentation. In such cases, we acknowledge the use of the original somewhere in the didactic description or directly within the work itself. However, any inclusion of the found publication, or part thereof, in the final artwork should not imply any endoresment of the CCU by the original publication's authors or publishers. All enquiries should be directed to our offices.


 
Acknowledgements

All artworks and texts, unless otherwise stated, are published courtesy the artists, 'Donnachie, Simionato & Sons' (2024). Visual and textual materials on this site may only be reproduced for scholarly purposes and with citations. Please forward all enquiries to contact@unknowing.cc

Many of the automated-art-systems in the CCU utilise open-source software and hardware which would not exist without the contribution of their respective communities. Special thanks to Processing (Java and Javascript); arduino (C++) and Raspberry Pi systems; Python; Inkscape.



Atomic Activity Books

Official publishing partners to the CCU. At www.AtomicActivity.com you can find limited editions from the Library of Nonhuman Books, as well as art multiples from many of the CCU's other automated-art-systems. Explore the entire catalogue of books and objects at the Atomic Activity website, or from selected bookstores.



studiok+a

Web design and development. The CCU platform is published through a custom-coded archival system which uses PHP, mySQL, Javascript, HTML and CSS. The CCU is grateful for any reports of errors or oversights, and will endeavour to implement corrections and improvements as soon as possible.