Deep Meditations: Snapshots across time (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

Series

More works in the Deep Meditations series.

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations

2018

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceEcologyGalleryMusic & Sound DesignConsciousnessMindOpen Source

Deep Meditations: Abiogenesis

2020

VideoArtificial IntelligenceEcologyConsciousnessGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations: We are all connected (Studies)

2020

PerformanceVideoArtificial IntelligenceEcologyGalleryConsciousnessMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations: Morphosis

2019, Performance

VideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations: Tomorrow

2018

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations: A brief history of almost everything

2018

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.

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryLanguageMindMusic & Sound DesignSimulationOpen Source

Distributed Consciousness, Deep Meditations at Gallery QI

2024

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations at Notes from the Ether: From NFTs to AI

2023

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations at The Unrestricted Society

2022

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations at Immaterial / Re-material: A Brief History of Computing Art

2020

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations at Thin as Thorns, In These Thoughts in Us: An Exhibition of Creative AI and Generative Art

2020

PerformanceVideoArtificial IntelligenceEcologyGalleryConsciousnessMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations: Morphosis

2019, Performance

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations at Sónar+D

2019

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations at Voices of Sónar+D, ME London

2019

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations at Cybernetic Consciousness, Itaú Cultural

2019

InstallationVideoArtificial IntelligenceConsciousnessEcologyGalleryMindMusic & Sound DesignOpen Source

Deep Meditations at Kennin-ji Temple

2019

Words(5 / 5)

The artist’s own writing about this work.

2025
Externalizing Imagination. Memo Akten and Katie Hofstadter. Invited essay for AI | Alternative Intentions. Right Click Save, March 24, 2025. · Invited
2021
Deep Visual Instruments: Realtime Continuous, Meaningful Human Control over Deep Neural Networks for Creative Expression. Memo Akten. Goldsmiths, University of London, 2021. · PhD thesis
2018
Deep Meditations: Controlled Navigation of Latent Space. Memo Akten, Rebecca Fiebrink, Mick Grierson. 2nd Workshop on Machine Learning for Creativity and Design at Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2018), 2018. · Academic
2018
Deep Meditations · Independent
2018
Deep Meditations: Technical Paper Explainer · Independent

Press(28 / 28)

Articles, reviews and other press relating to this work.

Interviews(4 / 4)

2022 The Networked Condition: Memo Akten Case Study, Abandon Normal Devices, 12 Apr 2022 · Interview
2020 Memo Akten’s art sees artificial intelligence tackle life, love, and faith, Dazed & Confused, 19 Feb 2020 · Interview
2019 Memo Akten: Spiritual Technology, Metal Magazine, 30 Nov 2019 · Interview
2019 Beyond The Data: Memo Akten Interviewed, Clash Magazine, 29 Aug 2019 · Interview

Features(4 / 4)

2025 【演算法的靈光】在數據裡尋找靈魂梅莫．阿克騰：在人工智慧中尋找靈性與感知的邊界, ARTouch / Art & Investment 392, 19 May 2025 · Article
2021 De l’intelligence en art, Art Press #492, 1 Oct 2021 · Review
2019 Deep meditations by Memo Akten, Metal Magazine, 29 Jul 2019 · Article
2018 AI is their paintbrush, but the artwork is no less human, Fast Company, 11 Sep 2018 · Article

Books(1 / 1)

2022 The Meaning of Creativity in the Age of AI, Raivo Kelomees, Varvara Guljajeva, Oliver Laas (eds.), Estonian Academy of Arts, pp. 33, 35, 66 · Book

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)

2023 Exploring ArtScience Museum’s ‘Notes From the Ether: From NFTs to AI', Stir world, 23 Sep 2023
2022 AI Artist Spotlight: Memo Akten, NightCafe, 22 Dec 2022 · Article
2021 Memo Akten: the environmentally conscious digital artist, Art Rights, 13 May 2021 · Article
2021 An Exhibition of Creative AI and Generative Art: ‘Thin as Thorns In These Thoughts in Us’, Art Now LA, 29 Jan 2021 · Review
2018 AI art is on the rise – but how do we measure its success?, Apollo, 13 Sep 2018 · Review
2018 Made by Machine, The Indian Express, 6 Sep 2018 · Article

News(3 / 3)

2024 Art Exhibit Explores Distributed Consciousness at the UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute, UC San Diego Today, 12 Jan 2024 · News
2019 Memo Akten's "Deep Meditations", Wired, 16 Jul 2019 · News
2018 AI-Generated Art Just Got Its First Mainstream Gallery Show. See It Here—and Get Ready, Artnet News, 29 Aug 2018 · News

Academic Papers(7 / 7)

2024 Beyond Hegel's End of Art: Exploring the Implications of Memo Akten’s Deep Meditations: A Brief History of Almost Everything for Contemporary Aesthetics and Metaphysics, Lai Man Tin, Journal of Interactive Media 2 (2/2024) · Academic paper
2024 A Questionnaire on Art and Machine Learning, Michelle Kuo, Pamela M. Lee (eds.), OCTOBER 189, pp. 97, Christiane Paul’s response; Summer 2024 · Academic paper
2024 Yeni Medyanın Sanata Etkisi: Dijital Sanat Paradigmasında Değişen Sanat Algısı ve Sanatçıların Bakış Açısı, Meltem Tan, İzmir Kâtip Çelebi Üniversitesi, Master’s thesis · Academic paper
2023 Anatomical Intelligence: Live coding as performative dissection, Joana Chicau, Jonathan Reus, Organised Sound 28 (2), pp. 290–304, 22 Aug 2023 · Academic paper
2023 AI Psychoanalysis – An ever elusive audio-visual web experience, Simon Fankhauser, MA thesis, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture · Academic paper
2022 De-Autonomy of Post-Human Imagination: New Directions in the Theory of Art, Mikhail A. Stepanov, Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art 12, pp. 663–673, 11 Oct 2022 · Academic paper
2022 Analysis of Exhibition Spaces in the Case of Artificial Intelligence Artworks, Şeyma Göktürk, Master’s thesis in Architecture, Izmir University of Economics · Academic paper

Collections(1 / 1)

2019 Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation

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)

2019 Yearning for the Infinite, Barbican, London, UK, 28 Sep 2019

Group Exhibitions(12 / 12)

2026 Emergence, Kate Vass Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland, 8 Sep–8 Dec 2026 ONGOING
2023 Notes from the Ether: From NFTs to AI, ArtScience Museum, Singapore, 19 Aug–24 Sep 2023
2022 The Unrestricted Society, Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab, Taipei, Taiwan, 24 Sep–27 Nov 2022
2021 HYDRA: New Media Art in the Context of Eco-Anxiety, Sevkabel Port Cultural Center, St. Petersburg, Russia
2020 Immaterial / Re-material: A Brief History of Computing Art, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China, 26 Sep 2020–17 Jan 2021
2020 Thin as Thorns, In These Thoughts in Us: An Exhibition of Creative AI and Generative Art, Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 8 Sep 2020–8 Jul 2021
2019 Sónar+D, Barcelona, Spain, 17–20 Jul 2019
2019 Voices of Sónar+D, ME London, London, UK, 8 May 2019
2019 Cybernetic Consciousness, Itaú Cultural, São Paulo, Brazil, 28 Mar–19 May 2019
2019 Kennin-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan, 14–24 Mar 2019 · organized by Kyoto University
2019 Future and the Arts: AI, Robotics, Cities, Life, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2018 Gradient Descent, Nature Morte, New Delhi, India, 17 Aug–15 Sep 2018