ATLAS - Weaving Feather

Project Members

Xiaorong Shao

Zhaorui Liu

MY ROLE

Visual Designer

TOOLS

Logic Pro

Procreate Dreams

Max/MSP/Jitter

TouchDesigner

Stable Diffusion

SURPPOTED BY

ATLAS is an art work that integrates Xinjiang ethnic music, electronic music, visual imaging, and AI deep learning technology, aiming to present an abstract and surreal artistic landscape through the interweaving of music and imaging. The inspiration for the work comes from the production process of Atlas silk, a national intangible cultural heritage. The production process of Atlas silk is woven into the work through four chapters: "Enriching Life（蕴生）, Lingering（缱绻）, Transforming Feather（化羽）, and Gathering Rhyme（汇韵）".

ATLAS • WEAVING FEATHER emerges within this evolving landscape, where generative AI intersects with cultural heritage. By blending cultural heritage with AI technology, the project offers a multidimensional artistic experience.

Sound Design - Logic Pro

ATLAS integrates traditional musical instruments with electronic sound processing techniques, creating a sonic narrative that mirrors the weaving of Atlas silk through its structural and textural evolution. The sound design incorporates a distinctive tuning approach by adapting the tuning of the Rawap (Uyghur plucked long-neck string instrument) to the electric guitar, which is further processed with effects. Additionally, audio sampling of the Rawap enriches the piece with a unique and immersive sonic texture.

Visual Design - TouchDesigner & Max/MSP/Jitter & Procreate Dreams

The emotions and effects of music can be mapped in real-time during the dyeing process of silk. At the same time, with the help of AI deep learning technology, unique halo dyeing and ink dragging artistic effects are continuously generated and simulated, making the work present highly creative and exploratory artistic expression in audio-visual interaction, guiding the audience into a journey of imagination and reality.

Generative AI Model Optimization - Stable Diffusion

Due to the complexity and distinctiveness of Atlas silk patterns, we employed LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation) fine-tuning on Stable Diffusion to optimize the base diffusion model while maintaining computational efficiency. Instead of modifying the full Stable Diffusion model, LoRA fine-tuning updates only low-rank matrices, significantly reducing the number of trainable parameters. The LoRA model parameters are injected into various layers of the Transformer architecture, enabling the model to retain its generalization capabilities while effectively adapting to the unique aesthetic properties of Atlas silk. The final fine-tuned model generates visual content with high fidelity to the original motifs.

Audio-Visual Synchronization

To ensure the coordination of audio-visual elements, musical elements were mapped to visual elements. Variations in melody, rhythm, dynamics, and timbre influence the variation, speed, complexity, and color of visuals. A custom script in Ableton Live was employed to automatically translate music into keyframes and then synchronize the rhythm of video and music.

AI-driven Artistic Collaboration

The integration of artificial intelligence into the creative process redefines both the role of artists and the very nature of artistic authorship. Traditionally, artistic creation has been a direct manifestation of individual or collective human agency. However, in ATLAS, generative AI functions not merely as a tool but as an active co-creative partner. Its ability to generate diverse outputs from structured prompts, and affect the artist's creative ideas. Instead of solely originating ideas and executing them manually, artists engage in a dynamic feedback loop with AI, iterating on generated output to refine compositions, textures, and thematic.

For instance, in crafting visuals for \textit{``ATLAS • WEAVING FEATHER''}, artists use AI to generate initial compositions, refine them by adjusting prompts, training weights, and integrating hand-drawn elements. As AI grows more sophisticated, the boundaries of authorship will continue to blur, challenging traditional notions of originality while expanding the expressive potential of digital art.

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