"Echoes of Forgotten Tales" is a long-form generative AI series that delves into the enchanting yet dark world of fairy tales. This collaborative project highlights the macabre aspects of traditional fairy tales while also exploring negative space, societal stereotypes, and the shared penchant for uncanny and surreal narratives between fairy tales and artificial intelligence.

During our research into the topic of fairy tales, we came across discussions about why these stories are scary and often incoherent, full of surprising characters and plot twists. One conclusion is that the purpose of fairy tales told to us in childhood is to prepare us and our emotions for the turbulence of our upcoming lives. A question this project explores is how technology helps us prepare for a new era. AI helps us imagine new, unfamiliar narratives - narratives that might foreshadow the unknown future.

Using first p5.js code and then generative AI, we worked together over the course of many months to reinterpret classic fairy tale scenes, drawing inspiration from vintage book illustrations. We also used ChatGPT to help us come up with an array of illustration captions, which we then embedded into the text prompts. By infusing elements of the unexpected into the images using AI, we aimed to breathe new life into conventional narratives.

"Echoes of Forgotten Tales" also confronts the gender stereotypes prevalent in classic fairy tales. We explore the representation of female characters in these stories, and challenge the ingrained portrayals that have shaped societal perceptions for centuries. Notably, our test outputs tend to showcase women as heroes and villains rather than perpetuating the trope of damsels in distress.

Another focus of this project is the exploration of negative space within the artworks. By strategically using emptiness and ambiguity, we invite viewers to ponder the hidden complexities and sinister undertones in these seemingly whimsical stories.

This series examines the intersection between the surreal realms of fairy tales and AI image-making technologies. We hope "Echoes of Forgotten Tales" unveils some of the latent mysteries embedded in these age-old stories.

Aleksandra Jovanic & Danielle King Long-Form AI via EmProps OpenStudio Beta 2496 x 3456 PNG January 17, 2024