Portraits of emotions: a collection

Machines cannot feel. Yet. I think they will never feel like we feel (because of some ideas I wrote about here so far). But machines can trigger emotions in us humans. We tend to respond to things we experience based on our previous experience. Our taste depends on all we have seen and lived until right when we experience something. Let me call our emotional taste to the collection of things that we like and move us emotionally. I cry out of nowhere with the Chaconne from the Partita in D minor for solo violin (BWV 1004) from Johann Sebastian Bach, or I feel something moving inside me when I see the way the dutch masters rendered the afternoon light in the clouds when painting their landscapes.

Our emotional taste sometimes finds something to like in synthetic creations. So far I haven’t seen a pure machine creation: that would require intention, and I don’t know of any AI with such a thing. So these creations have some human background to them. I find much to amuse myself with when enjoying generative art, AI-based creations stemming from collections of classical paintings... the list is long today. And I feel intensely with all that. So human-machine creations do generate the possibility of human feelings.

It would be interesting to see if we would find emotional pleasure in synthetic creations made by machines because they wanted to. It is surely akin to the problem of knowing if we would be aware of certain intelligences different to ours, but my guess is that we would probably find something in common first through the art that each species can make, rather than understanding how they think or what they are about. Their creations would give us a clue to how they are and what they are about.

I wanted to approach the subject by trying to generate emotions in synthetic creations. An easy first step, you may think. Sure thing, but to me it’s challenging to face the responsibility of creating something that holds the possibility for someone else’s emotions to harbour and thrive there. With or without machines aiding in the task.

I wanted to see what happens if I write some emotions and pair them with generative art. The images are purely aesthetical, devoid of any formal meaning. Pure image, which allows for any interpretation. Maybe.

So this is my collection of emotions in synthetic creations. Or portraits of emotions, I call them both ways. The short texts are tied to specific moments in my life which have meaning and are very powerful. Moments that moved me to tears. It may mean anything to anyone. But the idea is to read the text and look at the work. And to pay attention at what you feel.

Thanks for reading. And now, the works.

#1

sonreíste a mi pregunta, no dijiste nada
you smiled at my question, said nothing in return

(released as OBJKT #85454 on Hic Et Nunc)

#2

- me encanta bailar
- pues bailemos
(I Say a Little Prayer)
y bailamos por primera y última vez.

- i love to dance
- let's dance then
(I Say a Little Prayer)
and we danced for the first and last time.

(released as OBJKT #85462 on Hic Et Nunc)

#4

pero en la tarde,
a veces,
me quema el recuerdo de tu sangre

but in the afternoon,
sometimes,
I burn in the memory of your blood

(released as OBJKT #85470 on Hic Et Nunc)

#5

y se me derramó la vida
and my life spilled all over

(released as OBJKT #85482 on Hic Et Nunc)