Synergistic Metropolis

Saeko Ehara’s Synergistic Metropolis is the product of an algorithm powered by Stable Diffusion (AI) and TouchDesigner, a node-based visual coding software. From image generation to animation calculations, every aspect of the process is fully automated by the computer. In this way, the project builds on Hiroshi Kawano’s explorations of computational simulation by emphasizing an AI-centered workflow. Just as Kawano’s Artificial Mondrian (1967) revealed the influence of Piet Mondrian, so this work also channels the latter’s Broadway Boogie Woogie (1942-43), which captures the vibrancy of New York City. However, in contrast, Ehara has fed images of Japanese nocturnal landscapes into the machine, adding generative animations to produce a unique rhythm through the fusion of inorganic AI generation and human creative intervention, blending stillness with motion.

While much of the simulation in this work is delegated to the computer, the process of building the system and selecting the final outputs still depends on human judgment. The work therefore reflects the paradox of digital art as both heavily reliant on mechanical procedure and human intention and choice. Even creations born of machines carry within them the semblance of life.