This system utilises Machine Learning [ML] and Computer Vision [CV] to explore the early 20th century art techniques of collage, frottage, and decalcomania to generate a series of uncanny landscapes called “Regions of Interest” (2020–ongoing). The autonomous-art-system creates imagery based on “calculated chance.” Specifically for this series, a custom-made algorithm selects and combines source images taken from digital archives such as open source libraries, web-cams and video-feeds, in order to create original photographic collages. The original imagery used to create each collage is “cut” and combined according to algorithmic gestures conditioned through the procedural processing of the archive. The otherworldly scenes which are generated can not be visited, existing between the familiar and alien. For now, they are simply classified by the artists as “regions of interest” to be archived in a rapidly growing atlas of nonhuman destinations.

“Regions of Interest” uses a custom-made algorithm based on Computer Vision and Machine Learning, that selects and combines source images taken from digital archives and other image collections, in order to develop an evolving set of ‘algorithmic gestures’ which are then deployed through actions analogous to collage and decalcomania. Of principle concern to the artists is the opportunity to make and unmake relationships (and meanings) between images within archives or bodies of images. These relationships are expressed as ‘gestures’ (machine) learned from the observation of contours, colour fields and other details identifiable through computer vision which contribute to the collaging of the images. 

Building on Donnachie & Simionato’s previous work “The Library of Nonhuman Books” (2019-ongoing), this research seeks to circumvent the kinds of formalist tendencies they perceive in some generative systems by using extensive digitised cultural materials as a medium for new collaborative human-nonhuman creative practices.

The first large-scale “uncanny landscape” in the form of a triptych from the series, titled “Delayed Rays of a Star”, was installed at the inaugural LESS Festival for Contemporary collage in Viborg Denmark (18/09 - 18/10/2020), curated by Sergei Sviatchenko and Faye Dowling.