Memento Mori series
2024, Printed images of AI generated orchids grown in the shape of human skulls
Studio Pollen
(Atticus SIMS & Michael WHITTLE)
2024, Printed images of AI generated orchids grown in the shape of human skulls
Studio Pollen
(Atticus SIMS & Michael WHITTLE)
The Memento Mori series uses artificial intelligence to grow high resolution images of orchid flowers, each of which contains within its structure the subtly embed features of a human skull. The project reinterprets the memento mori painting genre for the twenty-first century.
The genre rose to prominence during the Renaissance and Baroque eras, often featured skulls and flowers as emblems. These paintings, while somber and contemplative, were not intended to evoke fear, but instead serve as philosophical reminders of life’s transient nature. They urged viewers to cherish each moment and live with an awareness of life’s fragility and the inevitability of death, encouraging a more mindful and appreciative approach to life.
The genre rose to prominence during the Renaissance and Baroque eras, often featured skulls and flowers as emblems. These paintings, while somber and contemplative, were not intended to evoke fear, but instead serve as philosophical reminders of life’s transient nature. They urged viewers to cherish each moment and live with an awareness of life’s fragility and the inevitability of death, encouraging a more mindful and appreciative approach to life.
Atticus SIMS
Atticus Sims is an artist, technologist, and Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Research in AI and Design at the University of Macau, where he researches machine learning and generative AI art tools. His creative practice lies at the intersection of art, technology, and human experience, and spans photography, video art, generative art, and open-source AI image generation, with a particular focus on Stable Diffusion. Some of the key topics his work explores include consciousness, perception, and the liminal space where inner and outer worlds converge. As a live visual artist Sims collaborates with experimental musical ensembles, creating dynamic visuals that respond to live performances. Sims is co-founder of Studio Pollen, an AI-first creative studio pushing the boundaries of technology-driven art.
Atticus Sims is an artist, technologist, and Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Research in AI and Design at the University of Macau, where he researches machine learning and generative AI art tools. His creative practice lies at the intersection of art, technology, and human experience, and spans photography, video art, generative art, and open-source AI image generation, with a particular focus on Stable Diffusion. Some of the key topics his work explores include consciousness, perception, and the liminal space where inner and outer worlds converge. As a live visual artist Sims collaborates with experimental musical ensembles, creating dynamic visuals that respond to live performances. Sims is co-founder of Studio Pollen, an AI-first creative studio pushing the boundaries of technology-driven art.
Michael WHITTLE
Michael Whittle is an artist and researcher specializing in Diagrammatology, the study of diagrams. He previously qualification and training as a Biomedical Scientist, before changing subject to study fine art. His artistic practice incorporates images, ideas, and data from science, as well as dialogues with scientists about their research interests and motivations. Recent projects include ‘Butterfly on the Sun’, a large-scale installation for the 2022 Changwon Sculpture Biennale developed in consultation with astrophysicist David Hathaway of NASA’s Ames Research Center. In 2023, Whittle co-founded ‘Pollen’ with artist-technologist Atticus Sims, an AI-powered creative studio in Kyoto, Japan. He is currently Associate Professor of Contemporary Art in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Macau.
Michael Whittle is an artist and researcher specializing in Diagrammatology, the study of diagrams. He previously qualification and training as a Biomedical Scientist, before changing subject to study fine art. His artistic practice incorporates images, ideas, and data from science, as well as dialogues with scientists about their research interests and motivations. Recent projects include ‘Butterfly on the Sun’, a large-scale installation for the 2022 Changwon Sculpture Biennale developed in consultation with astrophysicist David Hathaway of NASA’s Ames Research Center. In 2023, Whittle co-founded ‘Pollen’ with artist-technologist Atticus Sims, an AI-powered creative studio in Kyoto, Japan. He is currently Associate Professor of Contemporary Art in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Macau.
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