Quantum Skull

Quantum Skull is a work by Pindar Van Arman that was created from the quantum fluctuation of atoms, interpreted by artificial intelligence, and painted by a robot.

It is a visualization of quantum superpositioning created by quantum superpositioning.

To create ‘Quantum Skull’, Van Arman began by working with quantum artist Russell Huffman to procedurally generate a dataset of images on a quantum computer. These images included multiple 8bit references to Van Arman childhood memories of endless hours playing video games as well as references to his award winning AI Imagined Faces series, bitGANs, and CryptoPunks. Superpositioning and noise from the quantum computer arranged pieces of the 8bit imagery into 1024 32x32 pixel images, of which a small sample can be seen here:

This training data was sent into a neural network that searched for the underlying patterns in the 8-bit art, then imagined 1000s of new images in their likeness. These AI generated images were then passed on to Van Arman’s painting robots.

Swiss born, German Artist Paul Klee (1879 – 1940), described the creative process as: ‘making a mark on canvas, perceiving the effect, and reacting with a further mark," over and over again until the completion of an artwork in creative feedback loops. Van Arman’s robots use a similar process.

Working from the AI generated imagery, his robot attempts to make the canvas look more like the AI images one brush stroke at a time, even as the AI continues to change and generate new images. Periodically, the robot pauses and takes a picture of its progress on the canvas. It then uses the photo to compare its progress to the imagery being imagined by the AI. Based on the comparison, 24 different AI algorithms compete to decide on the next set of brushstrokes. This repeats until Van Arman decides that the painting is complete and directs the finishing touches. It is this way that the painting is born from creative feedback loops and a collaboration with the AI’s creativity.

The final ‘Quantum Skull’ is comprised of both the physical painting and a digital rendition that incorporates the AI imagery used by the robots.

There are three components to AI Imagined Skull: an NFT, a Physical, and a Digital Display Device.

1) The NFT (left) is a HD animation of the painting combined with the training data that inspired it.
2) The Physical (center) is an 18”x10” stretched canvas painted by a robot.

3) The optional Digital Display Device (right) is a MORF AI ArtStick that is plug and play ready on most modern digital displays.