Evaluation of artificial intelligence and aesthetics based on Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting

The main purpose of this study is to examine, understand and evaluate the aesthetic role of artificial intelligence, which has become increasingly effective in art production in recent years. The article focuses on the artistic creation and aesthetic concepts of artificial intelligence. The research examines the effects of artificial intelligence on artistic creation and the role of this technology on artistic aesthetics through Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” painting. In the article, the descriptive analysis method, one of the qualitative research techniques, and the composition method were applied when interpreting the visuals. In this context, a review and interpretation were made on six studies created with artificial intelligence. The plastic state of the images was revealed and interpreted according to the composition method, art and design principles and elements. According to the research results, works produced with artificial intelligence have aesthetic components of original works of art. However, works produced with artificial intelligence also show some important aesthetic differences from traditional works of art. These differences include color and application, repetition of the prompt and self-development. Artificial intelligence offers an aesthetic experience that changes, expands or clearly reveals the boundaries of traditional artworks. It is understood that artificial intelligence, which applies the formal language of artists through deep learning, has limited potential to convey the emotional expression of the artist. Visuals produced by artificial intelligence seem to create a unique aesthetic while being successful in emulating traditional creative works

foRMAtion international curriculum for future Research Managers and Administrators

The Intellectual Output 2 (IO2) is the international curriculum developed within the framework of the foRMAtion project, designed to be tested and accredited by each partner university and targeted to provide an overview of the main RMA tasks and roles for university students. The curriculum is named Research Manager as a profession in the EU ecosystem: concepts, tools and practice and consists of 24 lessons that will be taught over 2 semesters. The lessons are organized into 4 Modules: Module 1: Research Methodology and Design Module 2: Research Funding, Policy and Governance Module 3: Project Integration and Management Module 4: Research Impact and Public Engagement. Based on the partner universities' rules and national accreditation procedures, the curriculum will be accredited with 3 ECTS per semester. It will be available for all students as an elective course, focusing on bachelor students but open to all (when allowed by the rules of the university hosting the course). Through the curriculum, the students will engage with the EU Research and Innovation Ecosystem where they will gather an overview of RMA work at large, including the broad aspects and technical areas, but also by actively participating in real-case activities and developing transferable competencies. The international curriculum was developed in articulation with IO3 (teaching materials) to integrate the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach, combining knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the context of RMA's main tasks and roles. This document includes the definition of learning outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and autonomy, plus the detailed content of all 24 curricula units (lessons).publishersversionpublishe

Design for very large-scale conversations

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2000.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 184-200).On the Internet there are now very large-scale conversations (VLSCs) in which hundreds, even thousands, of people exchange messages across international borders in daily, many-to-many communications. It is my thesis that VLSC is an emergent communication medium that engenders new social and linguistic connections between people. VLSC poses fundamental challenges to the analytic tools and descriptive methodologies of linguistics and sociology previously developed to understand conversations of a much smaller scale. Consequently, the challenge for software design is this: How can the tools of social science be appropriated and improved upon to create better interfaces for participants and interested observers to understand and critically reflect upon conversation? This dissertation accomplishes two pieces of work. Firstly, the design, implementation, and demonstration of a proof-of-concept, VLSC interface is presented. The Conversation Map system provides a means to explore and question the social and linguistic structure of very large-scale conversations (e.g., Usenet newsgroups). Secondly, the thinking that went into the design of the Conversation Map system is generalized and articulated as an aesthetics, ethics, and epistemology of design for VLSC. The goal of the second, theoretical portion of the thesis is to provide a means to describe the emergent phenomenon of VLSC and a vocabulary for critiquing software designed for VLSC and computer-mediated conversation in general.Warren Sack.Ph.D

INSAM Journal of Contemporary Music, Art and Technology 2

The subject of machine learning and creativity, as well as its appropriation in arts is the focus of this issue with our Main theme of – Artificial Intelligence in Music, Arts, and Theory. In our invitation to collaborators, we discussed our standing preoccupation with the exploration of technology in contemporary theory and artistic practice. The invitation also noted that this time we are encouraged and inspired by Catherine Malabou’s new observations regarding brain plasticity and the metamorphosis of (natural and artificial) intelligence. Revising her previous stance that the difference between brain plasticity and computational architecture is not authentic and grounded, Malabou admits in her new book, Métamorphoses de l'intelligence: Que faire de leur cerveau bleu? (2017), that plasticity – the potential of neuron architecture to be shaped by environment, habits, and education – can also be a feature of artificial intelligence. “The future of artificial intelligence,” she writes, “is biological.” We wanted to provoke a debate about what machines can learn and what we can learn from them, especially regarding contemporary art practices. On this note, I am happy to see that our proposition has provoked intriguing and unique responses from various different disciplines including: theory of art, aesthetics of music, musicology, and media studies. The pieces in the (Inter)view section deal with machine and computational creativity, as well as the some of the principles of contemporary art. Reviews give us an insight into a couple of relevant reading points for this discussion and a retrospective of one engaging festival that also fits this theme

IM-sgi an interface model for shape grammar implementations

This research arises from the interest in computing as offering new paradigms in the design practice. Information technologies are the driving force for progress in the processes of design, enabling new forms of creativity. The increasing sophistication of computer applications, their easier access, and lower cost have had a significant impact on design practices and can be regarded as a paradigm shift. The invention and creativity are thus seen as knowledge processing activities and can, at least partially, be carried out with the support of computer applications. In this context Shape Grammars (SG) as production systems of designs through rules have the potential to create designs with variable user input and the ability to evaluate a large number of alternatives that may lead to innovative designs. Most architects and designers use computers on their daily practice as a representation tool for their projects, but not as a facilitator or increaser of the creative process. SG computational implementations have the potential to enhance creativity with the test of a wide range of design options, helping the appearance of new solutions, either through the emergence of new shapes or by stimulating the designer’s creativity with the possibilities presented. As Architects and Designers haven't adopted existing SG computational implementations, that take advantage of computation to facilitate and enhance their work, could the problem be on the communication between the applications and the user? If the interface of the SG implementation does not allow the user to understand how to use it or how to control and make use of its results, it can’t be successfully used. With interest in SG implementations as creative partners in the creative process, our research starts with the analysis of existing SG implementations, trying to understand if they had the potential to be adopted by architects and designers in their practice and, if not, what could be done to lead to that objective. User Interface Inspection Methods were used to perform this analysis and allowed us to understand that there are interactions and communication issues that need to be addressed for SG implementations to be adopted by designers. Taking this direction, we understood that models of interaction between the user and SG implementations have already been developed. The present research proposal started from the analysis of the interaction model of Scott Chase, where he defines the different levels of interaction between the user and SG implementation, with more or less input from the user, establishing different ways to combine synergies to obtain new creative solutions. Taking this interaction model as a starting point, next, we must assure the correct communication between user and implementation occurs. The means of communication between these two agents is the computational interface. Understanding the importance of the interface to allow the user to know how to use the computational implementation and be able to produce results, our research presents the development of an interface model for SG implementations to help to take a step towards the adoption of SG for creative projects. For this, we used methods from Human-Computer Interaction discipline, and we also took Bastien & Scapin's "List of Ergonomic Criteria Guidelines" as guiding lines to define the Criteria of our interface model, called IM-sgi, Interface Model for Shape Grammar Implementations. Thus, IM-sgi, an interface model for SG Implementations, has the purpose of helping SG implementations developers to address the interface on the right path to a correct communication with the particular type of user that architects and designers are. Interface prototypes following IM-sgi criteria are finally developed and presented to test the suitability of the IM-sgi Model to SG implementations and validate the objectives we propose.A presente pesquisa surge do interesse na computação por oferecer novos paradigmas na prática do design. As tecnologias da informação são a força motriz para o progresso nos processos de design, permitindo novas formas de criatividade. A crescente sofisticação das aplicações computacionais, o acesso mais fácil às mesmas e menor custo associado tiveram um grande impacto nas práticas de projeto e podemos considerar estar perante uma mudança de paradigma. A invenção e a criatividade são, portanto, vistas como atividades de processamento de conhecimento e podem, pelo menos parcialmente, ser realizadas com o suporte do computador. Nesse contexto, As Gramáticas de Forma, como sistemas de produção de designs através de regras, têm o potencial de criar projetos com entradas com níveis variáveis de intervenção do utilizador e apresentam a capacidade de avaliar um grande número de alternativas que podem levar a designs inovadores. A maioria dos arquitetos e designers usa o computador na sua prática diária como uma ferramenta de representação para seus projetos, mas não como um facilitador ou potenciador do processo criativo. As implementações computacionais de Gramáticas de Forma têm o potencial de aumentar a criatividade com o teste de uma ampla gama de opções de design, ajudando no surgimento de novas soluções, seja pela emergência de novas formas ou estimulando a criatividade do designer com as opções desenvolvidas. Uma vez que as implementações computacionais de Gramáticas de Forma existentes não foram adotadas por Arquitetos e Designers, que claramente tiram proveito de aplicações computacionais para facilitar e aperfeiçoar o seu trabalho, poderá o problema estar na comunicação entre as implementações e o utilizador? Se a interface da implementação não permitir que o utilizador entenda como usá-la ou como controlar e utilizar os seus resultados, ela não poderá ser utilizada com sucesso. Com interesse nas implementações de Gramáticas de Forma como parceiros criativos no processo criativo, a nossa investigação começa com a análise das implementações de Gramáticas de Forma existentes, tentando entender se estas têm potencial para ser adotadas pelos criativos na sua prática e, se não, o que poderia ser feito para chegar a este objetivo. Foram usados métodos de inspeção para realizar esta análise para nos permitir compreender que há interações e problemas de comunicação que precisam de ser resolvidos para que as implementações de Gramáticas de Forma sejam adotadas pelos projetistas. Seguindo essa direção de investigação, percebemos que foram já desenvolvidos modelos de interação entre o utilizador e as implementações de Gramáticas de Forma. A presente proposta de pesquisa surgiu a partir da análise do modelo de interação de Scott Chase, onde este define os diferentes níveis de interação entre utilizador e implementação de Gramáticas de Forma, com maior ou menor input do utilizador, estabelecendo diferentes formas de combinar sinergias para obter novas soluções criativas. Tomando esse modelo de interação como ponto de partida, devemos assegurar que a comunicação correta entre o utilizador e a implementação ocorra. O meio de comunicação desses dois agentes é o interface computacional. Entendendo a importância do interface para permitir que o utilizador entenda como usar a implementação computacional e seja capaz de produzir resultados, a nossa pesquisa apresenta o desenvolvimento de um modelo de interface para implementações de Gramáticas de Forma para ajudar a dar um passo na direção da adoção das Gramáticas de Forma para projetos criativos. Deste modo, aplicámos métodos da disciplina de HCI e também adotámos a Lista de Diretrizes e Critérios Ergonómicos de Bastien & Scapin como linhas de orientação para definir os Critérios do nosso modelo de interface, denominado IM-sgi. O IM-sgi, um modelo de interface para Implementações de Gramática de Forma, tem a finalidade de ajudar programadores de implementações de Gramáticas de Forma a endereçar a interface no sentido de atingir uma comunicação correta com o tipo particular de utilizador que são os arquitetos e designers. Protótipos de interface seguindo os critérios IM-sgi são finalmente desenvolvidos e apresentados para testar a adequação do modelo IM-sgi e validar os objetivos que propomos

Computational expressionism : a study of drawing with computation

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, February 1999.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-73).This thesis presents computational expressionism, an exploration of drawing using a computer that redefines the concepts of line and composition for the digital medium. It examines the artistic process involved in computational drawing, addressing the issues of skill, algorithmic style, authorship, re-appropriation, interactivity, dynamism, and the creative/evaluative process. The computational line augments the traditional concept of line making as a direct deposit or a scratching on a surface. Digital representation is based on computation; appearance is procedurally determined. The computational line embodies not only an algorithmic construction, but also dynamic and interactive behavior. A computer allows us to construct drawing instruments that take advantage of the dynamism, interactivity, behavioral elements and other features of a programming environment. Drawing becomes a two-fold process, at two distinct levels of interaction with the computer. The artist has to program the appearance and behavior of lines and subsequently draw with these lines by dragging a mouse or gesturing with some other input device. The compositions incorporate the beauty of computation with the creative impetus of the hand, whose apparent mistakes, hesitations and inspirations form a complex and critical component of visual expression.by Joanna Maria Berzowska.S.M

Le développement de collections de jeux vidéo dans les bibliothèques universitaires en Amérique du Nord : étude exploratoire

L’importance culturelle et sociale des jeux vidéo n’est plus à démontrer : ces documents font désormais partie du quotidien d’un bon nombre de Nord-Américains et l’industrie du jeu vidéo était l’industrie du loisir la plus rentable en 2014. La popularité de ce médium a suscité l’intérêt de la communauté universitaire et plusieurs disciplines étudient maintenant les jeux vidéo, notamment la psychologie, la sociologie et les sciences de l’information. De plus, certaines universités ont créé des départements d’études vidéoludiques, qui sont uniquement consacrés à l’étude de ce type de document. Cet intérêt scientifique peut mener à la création de collections de jeux vidéo dans les bibliothèques universitaires. Toutefois, la littérature scientifique ne s’est pas intéressée à l’insertion des jeux vidéo dans les bibliothèques universitaires, la littérature disponible étant uniquement professionnelle. Cette recherche vise à contribuer de manière scientifique à une question qui a été traitée uniquement de manière professionnelle, afin d’apporter un regard objectif sur cette réalité que les bibliothèques universitaires pourront être appelées à vivre. Pour ce faire, nous avons procédé à une étude de cas multiples, en menant des entrevues semi dirigées avec des bibliothécaires, des employés de la bibliothèque, des enseignants et des étudiants de deux milieux, un canadien et un américain. Cette approche qualitative a été choisie pour répondre à quatre questions de recherche : [1] Quels sont les facteurs influençant le développement des collections de jeux vidéo?, [2] Comment les différentes étapes du développement de collections sont-elles appliquées lors du développement d’une collection de jeux vidéo?, [3] De quelles manières la collection est-elle utilisée par les usagers de la bibliothèque? et [4] Les jeux vidéo doivent-ils être traités différemment des autres types de documents? Si oui, de quelle manière? Les résultats montrent que les principaux facteurs influençant le développement de collections de jeux vidéo sont de nature organisationnelle et budgétaire, mais qu’une attention particulière doit être portée aux facteurs technologiques lors du développement de collections rétrospectif. Le développement d’une collection de jeux vidéo diffère du développement de collections de documents dits traditionnels, car les bibliothécaires procèdent à de la micro sélection et les critères de sélection importants concernent, en plus des demandes des usagers, le matériel pour accéder à l’information contenue dans le jeu. De plus, les commis et les autres employés travaillant au comptoir de prêt peuvent devoir nettoyer et réparer les objets qui ne fonctionnent plus. Les utilisateurs potentiels de ces collections, c’est-à-dire les enseignants et les étudiants qui utilisent les jeux vidéo dans leurs activités de recherche et d’enseignement, n’utilisent pas les ressources des bibliothèques, notamment à cause d’un manque de promotion et de l’impossibilité d’emprunter les documents pour les consulter à la maison. Finalement, outre les activités de développement de collections qui diffèrent des documents traditionnels, l’impact des jeux vidéo sur les employés des bibliothèques est minime, notamment car ces ressources sont isolées dans les bibliothèques et que les employés ne sont pas appelés à travailler avec d’autres types de documents.Video games are culturally and socially important; they are part of daily life for most North Americans and were the most profitable leisure industry of 2014. Interest in this document was sparked in the academic community and several disciplines have studied it, such as psychology, sociology and information science. Some universities have created entire departments devoted to the study of video games: Game Studies. This rise in interest sometimes leads to the creation of a video games collection in academic libraries; this issue is not addressed in academic literature, however, only professional. This research aims to bring a scientific and objective viewpoint to an issue many academic libraries may experience. To do so, we conducted a multiple case study and interviewed librarians, members of the libraries’ staff, teachers and students of two universities, one Canadian and the other, American. This qualitative approach was chosen to answer our four research questions: [1] What are the elements influencing the development of video game collections?, [2] How do professionals treat video games in their collection development activities?, [3] How are video games used by patrons of academic libraries?, and [4] What is the impact of video games on the libraries’ employees tasks? The results show that the elements influencing the development of video game collections in academic libraries are mostly organisational and financial and that technological elements have to be taken into account when doing retrospective collection development. The development of video game collections differs from that of traditional documents in academic libraries, because librarians choose titles one by one and the important selection criteria include the users’ demands and the support to access the information in the game. Furthermore, clerks and other employees may have to clean and repair objects that are not working properly. The potential users of these collections – teachers and students using video games for teaching or for research – do not use the library’s resources, mainly because they are unaware of them, but also because they cannot borrow them and bring them home. Finally, other than the tasks related to the development of the video game collection, the impact on the employees is minimal, notably because these resources are isolated in the libraries and because employees do not work with other types of documents

El Arte del Azar: Incidencias del Acaso en el Arte Electrónico

Aleatoriedad, complejidad, caos, fluctuaciones e indeterminación, surgen como intereses que forman parte de la evolución del conocimiento humano en el siglo XX. Analizaremos en esta tesis la especificidad del azar y del acaso presentes en el arte concebido dentro de los parámetros del arte electrónico. Esta tesis pretende introducir y estudiar aplicaciones artísticas y variantes teóricas derivadas del cálculo numérico y de la aleatoriedad, más concretamente, el acaso, en nuestro entorno creativo contemporáneo, en nuestras relaciones, y observar cómo se han convertido en un medio poderosamente condicionador de la actividad artística. La base de este estudio, de esta búsqueda de preguntas y respuestas, no se fundamenta en la idea de que el arte pueda ser obra del acaso, solo porque alguien accidentalmente dejó caer un lápiz sobre una hoja de papel. El acaso en el arte debe buscarse en el proceso de creación como parte integrante de la condición biológica del artista. Es importante aceptar el azar y la casualidad como algo inherente a ambos, al transmisor y al receptor y pensar en la imprevisibilidad como un fenómeno inseparable de la naturaleza. El hombre como parte de un todo, reactivo al entorno y estableciendo una simbiosis con él. Influenciado-influyente, modificado-modificador, contaminado-contaminador, por él y del entorno. Esta investigación está estructurada esencialmente en dos grandes bloques: uno con contenidos teóricos y otro en el que se presentan las aplicaciones prácticas del estudio. Esta estructura de contenidos intenta mantener una coherencia interna para así poder transmitir con claridad su idea principal: la relación del azar con el mundo de la producción artística, culminando en el arte basado en la red. Los dos primeros bloques están separados por la llegada del computador a la producción artística.Saraiva Pereira Dos Penedos, EI. (2012). El Arte del Azar: Incidencias del Acaso en el Arte Electrónico [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/15917Palanci

Typogenetic design - aesthetic decision support for architectural shape generation

Typogenetic Design is an interactive computational design system combining generative design, evolutionary search and architectural optimisation technology. The active tool for supporting design decisions during architectural shape generation uses an aesthetic system to guide the search process. This aesthetic system directs the search process toward preferences expressed interactively by the designer. An image input as design reference is integrated by means of shape comparison to provide direction to the exploratory search. During the shape generation process, the designer can choose solutions interactively in a graphical user interface. Those choices are then used to support the selection process as part of the fitness function by online classification. Enhancing human decision making capabilities in human-in-the-loop design systems addresses the complexity of architecture in respect to aesthetic requirements. On the strength of machine learning, the integral performance trade-off during multi-criteria optimisation was extended to address aesthetic preferences. The tacit knowledge and subjective understanding of designers can be used in the shape generation process based on interactive mechanisms. As a result, an integrated support system for performance-based design was developed and tested. Closing the loop from design to construction using design optimisation of structural nodes in a set of case studies confirmed the need for intuitive design systems, interfaces and mechanisms to make architectural optimisation more accessible and intuitive to handle. This dissertation investigated Typogenetic Design as a tool for initial morphological search. Novel instruments for human interaction with design systems were developed using mixed-method research. The present investigation consists of an in-depth technological enquiry into the use of interactive generative design for exploratory search as an integrated support system for performance-based design. Associated project-based research on the design potential of Typogenetic Design showcases the application of the design system for architecture. Generative design as an expressive tool to produce architectural geometries was investigated in regard to its ability to drive initial morphological search of complex geometries. The reinterpretation of processes and boosting of productivity by artificial intelligence was instrumental in exploring a holistic approach combining quantitative and qualitative criteria in a human-in-the-loop system. The shift in focus from an objective to a subjective understanding of computational design processes indicates a perspective change from optimisation to learning as a computational paradigm. Integrating learning capabilities in architectural optimisation enhances the capability of architects to explore large design spaces of emergent representations using evolutionary search. The shift from design automation to interactive generative design introduces the possibility for designers to evaluate shape solutions based on their knowledge and expertise to the computational system. At the same time, the aesthetic system is trained in adaptation to the choices made by the designer. Furthermore, an initial image input allows the designer to add a design reference to the Typogenetic Design process. Shape comparison using a similarity measure provides additional guidance to the architectural shape generation using grammar evolution. Finally, a software prototype was built and tested by means of user-experience evaluation. These participant experiments led to the specification of custom software requirements for the software implementation of a parametric Typogenetic tool. I explored semi-automated design in application to different design cases using the software prototype of Typogenetic Design. Interactive mass-customisation is a promising application of Typogenetic Design to interactively specify product structure and component composition. The semi-automated design paradigm is one step on the way to moderating the balance between automation and control of computational design systems