Flourishing, 2018 DeepDream by Alex Mordvintsev

Flourishing (2018) was created using DeepDream, a technique developed by Google engineer Alexander Mordvintsev. This artwork, showcased at Art Fair Zurich 2018, features a vibrant composition of colorful houses intertwined with surreal floral patterns, evoking a sense of flourishing nature.

DeepDream is a computer vision program developed by Google engineer Alexander Mordvintsev, utilizing a convolutional neural network (CNN) to enhance patterns in images through algorithmic pareidolia, producing surreal, psychedelic visuals. The program popularized the term "deep dreaming," referring to the generation of images that activate specific features in a trained deep network. Originating from Google's "Inception" neural network for the 2014 ImageNet Challenge, DeepDream's open-source code was released in July 2015. The process involves feeding an image into the neural network and iteratively adjusting it based on the network’s recognition of various features, amplifying edges, and shapes to create hallucinatory effects where familiar objects morph into complex, often bizarre patterns. DeepDream showcases the power of neural networks in image processing and offers insight into the workings of machine learning models, merging technology and art.