In 2018, I visited Ukraine and took a series of travel photos in Kyiv and Chernobyl. Ever since, I’ve been thinking about how to use these images in a more interesting way, especially now, when traveling in Ukraine as a regular tourist has become impossible.
With the rise of image-to-text and text-to-image AI tools, I’ve become curious about how AI interprets images and reimagines them. The process of exploration has been unexpectedly fun and often surprising.
This series consists of five groups of images and texts. Each group begins with an original photo I took in Ukraine, followed by a text generated by AI based on that image. I’ve highlighted certain phrases in the text, some because they struck me as unexpectedly insightful, others because they pointed out details I hadn’t noticed myself. It was genuinely shocking to see how accurately AI could describe an atmosphere, name specific objects, or draw attention to things I had previously overlooked.
Using the AI-generated text, I then created new images. These AI-generated visuals are subtly surreal, yet strangely similar to the original photos. Seeing them side by side with mine has been a thought-provoking experience, especially considering they are eight years apart and that the world has gone through many changes in geopolitics and technology during this period.
Prompt: "A Soviet-era abandoned auditorium interior reveals a decaying stage space with peeling white and gray paint exposing damp concrete walls and patches of weathered brick beneath damaged plaster. A broken upright piano lies on its side atop wooden stage flooring covered in scattered rubble and building debris. A classical socialist relief sculpture mounted on the wall depicts multiple human figures holding torches, while weathered gray spray paint text on the wall spells out "WELC". A tilted framed portrait showing a Soviet official wearing a suit and tie lies among the debris. Green mold and moss grow on the walls and floor surfaces. With cold institutional lighting, bleached color grading with muted whites and grays, static wide-angle composition, surreal atmosphere with precise symmetrical framing and deep depth of field."
Prompt: "A wide landscape view of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine under a clear blue sky. In the background, the New Safe Confinement structure—an enormous silver arched dome—covers the damaged Reactor No. 4. Surrounding it are several industrial buildings, smokestacks, and a red-white striped chimney rising vertically. To the right, a tall metal lattice communications tower and electricity pylons mark the infrastructure. In the foreground, a canal with concrete embankments gently curves through a dry grassy plain with sparse green vegetation. The overall atmosphere is quiet and desolate, evoking a post-industrial or post-disaster scene. Wide-angle landscape photography with natural lighting and sharp focus on architectural elements."
Prompt: "An abandoned, decaying interior of what appears to be an industrial kitchen or food preparation facility. The space is filled with rusted metal furniture, broken cabinets, and shattered debris scattered across the floor. Exposed wiring and metal piping snake across the ground, while the walls are stained with peeling paint, mold, and water damage. Blue ceramic tiles cover sections of the lower walls, and a column in the center is partially tiled as well. In the foreground, a dusty blue bowl with a plastic spoon sits atop a rusting surface. The lighting is natural, dimly filtering in, casting a greenish, eerie glow across the room. The atmosphere is haunting, evoking abandonment and the passage of time."
Prompt: "A candid street scene in a post-Soviet urban environment, centered around a worn white Lada sedan parked near a corrugated metal garage. The car shows visible rust along its edges and an old Ukrainian license plate. Several middle-aged women are engaged in casual conversation or passing by. One woman in a white printed dress and black sandals stands beside the car, while another stands on the steps of a concrete building with peeling paint. The entrance to the building is partially obscured by shadows and overhanging leaves, and a hand-painted sign above reads 'Туалет' (toilet in Russian). A third woman in the foreground, only partially visible, carries a small pink plastic bag filled with tomatoes. The scene evokes a raw, unfiltered look at daily life, with an atmosphere of stagnation and resilience, marked by cracked pavement and utilitarian surroundings."
A pastel-toned European city square on a sunny day, with a soft, slightly overexposed cinematic look. A large white Ferris wheel dominates the composition, centrally placed and radiating clean geometric lines. Behind it stand neoclassical buildings painted in baby blue, mint green, and pale yellow. The blue building has tall arched windows and ornate white decorations, while the mint green clock tower has a gold dome. On the right, a modern red-and-white commercial building labeled 'ProCredit Bank' adds contrast. People in light summer clothing walk casually across the open square, casting soft shadows. The overall palette is muted and dreamy, with creamy whites, washed-out pastels, and powder blue skies. The lighting is bright but diffused, evoking a peaceful, timeless urban atmosphere.
