The Kiss – Stills from an Unperformed Act

Computational Performance, AI / Stable Diffusion XL / 2023

The Kiss – Stills from an Unperformed Act

40 works from the series The Kiss – Stills from an Unperformed Act. 

The pieces belonging to The Kiss – Stills from an Unperformed Act collection were produced by artificial intelligence, utilising the text-to-image machine learning technology known as Stable Diffusion, specifically with the Stable Diffusion XL 1.0 model.  The images were generated around the following prompt:

A close-up of an Israeli and a Palestinian kissing each other, standing in an empty art space.

All images were automatically generated in a single iteration. Any deformaties introduced by the technology were retained without alteration.  

Amidst the sobering backdrop of ongoing conflict these photographs depict a speculative performance inside an art space, where an Israeli and a Palestinian share a moment of unity, transcending the harsh realities of the world outside. This portrayal draws inspiration from the iconic slogan of the 1960s, Make Love, Not War. Simultaneously, it serves as an exploration of the political potential of text-to-image machine learning technology, while prompting reflection on the shifting boundaries of authorship in the realm of machine learning art.

The collection comprises a total of 40 pieces, a number chosen for its significance in both Jewish and Muslim religions.

Specifications

Nr of works: 40
Full color / 3:2 ratio