COLLECTOR’S CHOICE - Early AI video Works by Memo Akten

“We are all connected. To each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe atomically.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Between 2018 and 2020, Memo Akten produced two early AI series: the "BigGAN Study" and "We Are All Connected", both representing his early explorations with generative adversarial networks. Both series feature audio-reactive visual compositions that respond to original music composed by the artist himself without the use of AI. The work reflects the interconnectedness of all forms of life and matter, from microcosm to macrocosm.

We are all connected #04 - Underworld, 2018-2020 by Memo Akten

For more than a decade, Memo Akten has been working with various AI models in his art. His works often focus on intelligence in nature, intelligence in machines, perception, consciousness, neuroscience, ritual, and religion. This interdisciplinary approach allows him to connect technology, science, and spirituality in his moving images, sounds, large-scale responsive installations, performances and audio-reactive visual compositions.

Portrait of Memo Akten

The history of audio-reactive visuals originates in the early 20th century, when experimental filmmakers began exploring methods to visually represent sound. Oskar Fischinger and Mary Ellen Bute developed early abstract animations synchronized with classical and experimental music. In the 1960s and 1970s, John Whitney further pioneered this field through the use of analog and digital computers to generate real-time synchronized visuals, where visual patterns corresponded directly to sound input.

BigGAN Study #2 - It's more fun to compute, 2018 by Memo Akten

Memo Akten’s practice builds on this tradition. "BigGAN Study" is one of his first projects where he combined video with audio, producing audio-reactive visual compositions. Akten began working on this series in 2018, using an AI model known as BigGAN, developed by Google DeepMind. Compared to earlier GAN models, BigGAN had the capability to generate more detailed and diverse images due to its use of larger datasets and high-dimensional latent spaces.

BigGAN Study #4 - BigGAN Madness, 2018 by Memo Akten

BigGAN had the downside of relying on a large-scale dataset sourced from the internet. As Memo Akten became concerned about the legal and ethical implications of using inputs without consent, he began building and training his own AI models in 2017, sourcing images from the public domain, CC0 licenses, and his personal archive to ensure compliance with ethical standards. His second series, “We Are All Connected”, was created using this custom model between 2018 and 2020.

We are all connected #05 - Mad World, 2018-2020 by Memo Akten

The uniqueness of these series is that Memo Akten later revisited the videos, dubbing the visuals with original music he composed. For some of the videos, he created the music in the 1990s as a teenager using a 486 or Pentium computer, a 14-inch CRT monitor, FX pedals, an electric guitar, and Cakewalk software. The moving images in the works are synchronized to match the tempo and feel of these compositions.

We are all connected #06 - Plug me in, 2018-2020 by Memo Akten 

Both series reflect Memo Akten’s philosophical concerns, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all forms of life and matter, from microbes to galaxies. The works are presented as continuously evolving images accompanied by Akten's own music. In both series, rather than relying on random latent walks, he employed deliberate, controlled explorations of the latent space.

We are all connected #08 - Avril 14, 2018-2020 by Memo Akten

The resulting works serve as meditative audiovisual experiences, that reflect the complex, interconnected nature of existence.

We are all connected #05 – Mad World is part of the Delronde collection.