Alexander Vorobyev (Tumanov)

Contest entry

Link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fnimJhAR_lO2frwrWUHgY-jF5lDmEd2Y/view?usp=sharing

Link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YT9uR76IAg1YOB8OnPpm3rcvghVnMLPh/view?usp=sharing

Chaotic Systems: Odesa is a generative multimedia installation based on chaotic dynamical systems and their sensitivity to initial conditions (commonly referred to as the "butterfly effect"). At its core are two real-time Chua attractor generators, built with STM32 microcontrollers, solving differential equations with nearly identical starting parameters—except for one infinitesimal variation (picorange). This difference grows over time, making the systems diverge unpredictably.

The divergence values are sent to a conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN), trained on two datasets: peaceful photographs of Odesa and archival imagery from violent street clashes in 2014. As divergence increases, the neural network generates increasingly chaotic imagery. Once a specific threshold is reached, the system resets, beginning a new cycle.

Through autonomous computation and generative media, the work draws connections between abstract mathematical models and real-world instability. It suggests that imperceptible variations—whether in physical, biological, or social systems—may trigger dramatic transformations. The work runs continuously, using two embedded computers (Orange Pi) and three displays for video, attractor plots, and system graphs.

By integrating mathematics, AI, and historical context, the project highlights hidden mechanisms that shape the visible world.

Artist biography

Alexander Vorobyev (Tumanov) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Yokohama, Japan. 

With a background in digital strategy and product development, he transitioned to contemporary art and technological experimentation in 2020. 

His practice integrates mechanics, electronics, neural networks, and biological systems, exploring the intersection of generative audiovisual performance and interactive installations. His artistic research focuses on complex systems, cognitive and evolutionary sciences, and the relationship between human biological nature, emerging technologies, and culture.

Through his work, Tumanov examines the systemic interconnections between cultural, social, biological, and mathematical structures, often utilizing generative processes to explore unpredictability, interaction, and perception.