Deep Meditations: A brief history of almost everything (2018)

This project is part of the Deep Meditations series.

Deep Meditations is a series of abstract films and installations that explore how we make meaning and the gap between felt experience and representation. The works invite us on a spiritual journey through slow, meditative, continuously evolving images and sounds: fragments of our collective experience refracted through a deep neural network.

“It feels like the machine is trying to tell me something…” – audience member

Deep Meditations: A brief history of almost everything takes us on an abstract journey through the birth of the cosmos, formation of the planets and earth, rocks, the seas, the spark of life, evolution, diversity, geological changes, formation of ecosystems, the birth of humanity, civilization, settlements, culture, history, war, art, ritual, worship, religion, science, technology and more.

The primary work has a duration of 60 minutes. This is the version that is typically shown in large multi-channel installations.

Shorter 5, 2, and 1-minute versions offer more compressed journeys through the same narrative.

The artwork has been exhibited worldwide and is in the collection of Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation.

60-minutes

Deep Meditations: A brief history of almost everything in 60 minutes (excerpt):

5-minutes

Deep Meditations: A brief history of almost everything in 5 minutes:

2-minutes

Deep Meditations: A brief history of almost everything in 2 minutes:

1-minute

Deep Meditations: A brief history of almost everything in 1 minute:

Presentation

The 1,2 and 5 minute versions are typically shown on a single screen, while the 60 minute version is shown in multi-channel installations. The work can be presented in a variety of formats, depending on the space and context, such as:

  1. 3 channel landscape: 3x horizontal projections or LED screens. e.g. Sonar+D
  2. 5 channel monolith: 5x vertical LED screens. e.g. Ullens Center for Contemporary Art
  3. 7 channel screen: 7x vertically mounted screens, sizes 55″-85″. e.g. Honor Fraser Gallery
  4. Custom immersive site-specific installation: e.g. Me by Melia London

See shows below for more examples.

Series

More works in the Deep Meditations series.

Selected Exhibitions, Performances & Presentations(10 / 10)

Only selected shows with project pages are listed below. For more complete exhibition and performance history please see Show History.

Words(5 / 5)

The artist’s own writing about this work.

Press(28 / 28)

Articles, reviews and other press relating to this work.

Interviews(4 / 4)

Features(4 / 4)

Books(1 / 1)

Catalogs(3 / 3)

  • 2026  EMERGENCE, Kate Vass, Ágnes Ferenczi (eds.), Kate Vass Galerie, pp. 95–114 · Catalog
  • 2023  Contemporary Istanbul, 18th Edition — Catalogue, Contemporary Istanbul, pp. 129 · Catalog
  • 2020  Immaterial/Re-material: A Brief History of Computing Art, Jérôme Neutres (eds.), UCCA Center for Contemporary Art / Culture and Art Publishing House · Catalog

Other Coverage(6 / 6)

News(3 / 3)

Academic Papers(7 / 7)

Collections(1 / 1)

Show History(15 / 15)

Solo Exhibitions and Presentations(2 / 2)

  • 2024  Gallery QI, La Jolla, CA, USA, 25 Jan 2024
  • 2020  Deep Meditations: A brief history of almost everything in 60 minutes, How We Make Meaning, QUAD Gallery, Derby, UK

Performances(1 / 1)

Group Exhibitions(12 / 12)

Details

Medium
Multi-channel large-scale video and sound installation. 3, 5 or 7 channel 4K video. Stereo audio.
Duration
60 minute seamless loop, with 5, 2 and 1 minute versions
Technique
Custom software, generative video, generative audio, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative Adversarial Networks, Variational Autoencoders.
Editions
3+2AP
Collections
Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation