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Exhibition “Artificial Intelligence in Education and Artistic Creation” . 2021-2024. Palace Condes de Gabia. University of Granada (Spain).

Curators: Ricardo Marin, Ángel García Roldán, Xabier Molinet, Joaquin Roldán.

Exhibition Room

“Portrait Without Organs – SalomíA” is a collaborative work that embodies a remarkable synergy between artistic, scientific, and technological disciplines. Conceived as a portrait of the artist, the installation centers on the head of St. John the Baptist, a sculpture commissioned from Jonathan Alonso Niño, a sculptor from Rota. This multidisciplinary piece integrates diverse languages and conceptual approaches. The soundtrack accompanying the work is generated through several artificial intelligence programs, which create compositions based on the interpretation of bacteriological cultures analyzed by a group of scientists from hospitals and the University of Granada. This artificial entity, named SalomíA, evokes the figure of Salome, daughter of Herodias, who was responsible for the beheading of the biblical character. The work fosters an enriching dialogue between art, science, and technology, exploring the intersections between human eschatology and technological possibilities while offering a profound reflection on the nature of artistic representation in a contemporary context.

The martyrdom of St. John the Baptist recounted in the Gospels as a brutal act of beheading, is imbued with profound symbolism and serves as the focal point of this interdisciplinary collaboration. The sculptural artifact, characterized by its circular composition, invites contemplation on human nature, spirituality, and our connection to the divine.

In parallel, the intervention of SalomíA—represented through a series of artificial intelligence programs designed to analyze data from bacteriological cultures obtained from human saliva samples—adds a new technological dimension to the creative process. Using computational algorithms and procedures, SalomíA generates a unique musical composition inspired by Richard Strauss’s opera Salome. This innovative approach intertwines the microscopic sounds of bacterial life with intense emotional expression, achieving a fusion of science and art.

During the research phase, saliva samples were collected from twelve individuals and analyzed using standard microbiological techniques, employing the Digralsky handle and inoculation loop on Blood Agar plates. These samples were meticulously preserved, revealing a hidden ecosystem of bacteria and microorganisms within the human oral microbiome. Under the microscope, these microorganisms unveil a symphony of shapes and colors that challenge our conventional understanding of the invisible world. Even for the scientists involved, the project was unsettling: “In Microbiology, we are applying AI for the early diagnosis of diseases, which is why this proposal seemed surprising and disruptive to us.”

In this work, Petri dishes are transformed into reliquaries—custodians of a divine narrative and a presence that transcends the earthly realm. Like containers of sacred relics, such as bone fragments or strands of hair, they now house the very blood that sustains life, seeking to connect us with the depths of religious heritage and inquiries into the divine. These small culture chambers reflect the duality that defines human existence: the exploration of the visible and the invisible, the tangible and the ethereal, the empirical and the sacred. Within this context, human saliva is transfigured into a consecrated medium—a fertile ground where life and the mysteries of creation proliferate in dimensions beyond human perception.

Participant’s saliva samples.

Grade Circuit. Surface seeding of specimens and incubation at 37 °C for 24 – 48 hours.

Columbia Agar Blood 90 mm diameter Petri dishes with microbiological growth.

Caresses from loved ones

Process picture