Occurrens Mirabilis

Ariel Kotzer

The images in this project were created by Midjourney, a generative artificial intelligence that translates text descriptions ("prompts") into visuals.
In an attempt to cede control and enjoy the surprise and discovery, Kotzer chose to limit the prompts to the bare minimum (three words or less).
By doing so, he sought to recreate the childlike wonder of a first encounter with nature—an encounter with the unknown, unfamiliar, and uncontrollable. "Occurrens Mirabilis" seeks to counter the patronizing act of cataloging nature, as often seen in natural history museums—an act that threatens to erode our sense of awe at the grandeur of the sights before us.