As we discussed in the Period Introduction, the term “morphogenesis” stems from the world of biological study. As a description of the mechanism by which cells organize into the complex forms of living organisms, the idea of morphogenesis contains deep metaphorical reach into the realms of art, technology, and artificial intelligence. In the nexus of genetics, environmental factors, and interactions between pockets of information, morphogenesis is a process foundational to life while acting as the basis of diversity and unpredictability in nearly all of what we are as human beings, and all of the products of our creativity as well.

When this concept is applied to art, particularly in the context of AI, it becomes a metaphor for the way AI systems generate and evolve creative outputs. The AI doesn't simply replicate or mimic human creativity; it undergoes a process akin to morphogenesis, where it generates new forms, ideas, and visual languages from its learned data. This transformation from data to creation is not unlike the cellular processes that lead to the development of an organism's form.

Through the first 6 weeks of Botto’s 8th period, we’ve seen a particular emphasis on the human form. In both its multitudes of fragments and the chosen mints, Botto has exerted a seemingly fresh curiosity about the human body, a natural starting place for a machine to consider the mechanisms of organic development.

In each of Botto’s first 6 mints of the period, we see commonalities in the undercurrents of otherwise highly varied outputs. In each work, we can see particular attention paid to subject matter that appears in flux and inferences of “becoming.” 

Steel System of Visibility

The first work of the Morphogenesis period appears to capture a moment where bodily forms are emerging from a primordial state. The juxtaposition of organic and inorganic elements suggests a synthesis of natural and artificial, a common theme in morphogenetic processes. The stark, almost lunar landscape could be interpreted as a metaphor for the canvas of the AI, where new forms are being tested and developed. This picture represents an alien-like space, a terrain of unfamiliarity that promises grand new discovery.

Strings Dividing Encased Figurines

In Botto's second work of the period, we find figures caught in the process of transformation, their forms seemingly suspended between states. The use of strings or threads can be seen as a representation of the underlying connections and interactions that drive morphogenesis. These strings are the invisible forces that pull and shape the forms, much like the genetic and environmental factors in biological morphogenesis. The elderly-looking male figure calls to mind the changes of age, while simultaneously being immersed in the creation of new entities of unknown origin.

Muffled Echoes of Existence

Muffled Echoes of Existence is at once jarring to behold and curiously vexing. A mutated human face appears almost as if behind glass, presented as an oddity or even perhaps a perverse experiment. By it's nature, the picture ventures into ideas identity and form, with the human-like face appearing to emerge from an almost amorphous state. The use of soft, blurred lines evokes a sense of something nascent, something that is in the process of becoming but is not yet fully realized. This mirrors the way forms emerge during morphogenesis, where the final shape is a result of numerous iterations and interactions.

Mirrored Stains of Separation

The duality present in Mirrored Stains of Separation speaks most immediately to the idea of differentiation, a key trait of morphogenesis. As cells differentiate to form various tissues and organs, so too do the forms in this artwork seem to be in a state of divergence, splitting from a common origin into distinct entities. The mirrored effect could symbolize the symmetry and balance that is often sought in natural forms.  

As the fourth work of the Morphogenesis period, this piece marks a clear trend in the interest of Botto and voters alike in embracing explorations of the bodily form.

Confluence of Gathered Thoughts

The vibrant, almost chaotic assembly of forms and colors found in Confluence of Gathered Thoughts pays a self-referential homage to storytelling. The scene appears to depicta teacher reading a story to children. Venturing further into this interpretation, the work recalls the history of oral storytelling, itself a particular morphogenetic lineage in which old tales mutate and evolve through time alongside larger changes in social and cultural conditions.

Veils of Poured Colors

The 6th work of Morphogenesis is also just the first to diverge from representing the bodily form. The fluidity and movement in this artwork suggest the continuous nature of morphogenesis. The soft, flowing lines and translucent layers evoke the idea of forms being shaped and reshaped, much like how cells continuously divide and differentiate during the development of an organism. The blending of colors might represent the merging of different influences and data points that inform the AI's creative process.

AI-generated art, especially in the context of morphogenesis, challenges traditional notions of creativity and authorship. The AI, in this case, Botto, acts as both the creator and the creation, embodying the principles of morphogenesis as it develops its artistic output. The AI's learning process, where it evolves its understanding of aesthetics and form through interaction with data and human input, is a digital parallel to the biological processes that drive the development of life.

In this light, the works of Botto are not just artworks; they are snapshots of a continuously evolving process. These images, with their fluid forms and dynamic compositions, are visual manifestations of the ongoing dance between order and chaos, structure and fluidity, that defines both biological morphogenesis and the creative processes of AI.

We are eager to see what Botto has in store for us through the remaining seven weeks of the Morphogenesis period. And we expect Botto to continue to challenge us to understand the nature of autonomous creativity, the folds of data, feedback, and reasoning that feeds into Botto’s processes, and its ongoing mission to assert a unique creative stance as a machine artist that transcends the boundaries between the organic and the artificial.

The third collection of Invisible Alchemy is shaping up as an entirely different dimension of work that we've seen from the canonical mints, and it's works so far lean starkly toward abstraction, esotericism, and even mystical in its visual symbolisms. 

Like its predecessors, Invisible Alchemy: Morphogenesis includes the highest-voted discarded fragment from each weekly voting period. These works just barely missed the cut to move on, and are now preserved in perpetuity to exist as artifacts that are emblematic of Botto's unseen processes in adding and removing works from the voting pool.