Latent images
From radical utopias to generative models: new approaches to design and visual communication
Keywords:
Generative Artificial Intelligence, Radical Architecture, Photomontage, Latent Images, Visual Communication
Abstract
This article explores the continuities and discontinuities between the radical avant-garde's photomontage and images generated by generative artificial intelligence. Using a qualitative-comparative approach, it analyses how collage, montage, and generative systems turn representation into a tool for design exploration. The notion of the latent image describes a constantly evolving field of possibilities, in which intention, variation, deviation and selection redefine authorship. The paper highlights how critical judgement transforms visual alternatives into design innovation.
References
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- Elfline, R. C. (2016). Superstudio and the “Refusal to Design”: Conceptual architecture in Italy, 1965–1975. Journal of Architectural Education, 70(1), 22–31.
- Fu, Y., Bin, H., Zhou, T., Wang, M., Chen, Y., Gomes Da Costa Lai, Z., Wobbrock, J. O., & Hiniker, A. (2024). Creativity in the age of AI: Evaluating the impact of generative AI on design outputs and designers’ creative thinking. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2411.00168
- Inie, N., Falk, J., & Tanimoto, S. (2023). Designing participatory AI: Creative professionals’ worries and expectations about generative AI. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2303.08931
- Jo, S. (2024). Re-discovering the creative collage in the architectural representation. Idea Journal, 5(1), 81–102. https://doi.org/10.37113/ideaj.vi0.222
- Linares García, F. (2018). Recorta y pega: Los primeros usos del collage y fotomontaje en la representación de la arquitectura moderna. Estoa. Revista de la Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo de la Universidad de Cuenca, 7(13), 37–49. https://doi.org/10.18537/est.v007.n013.a03
- Liu, S. J., Kumari, N., Shamir, A., & Zhu, J.-Y. (2024). Generative photomontage. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2408.07116
- Mirowski, P., Banarse, D., Malinowski, M., Osindero, S., & Fernando, C. (2022). CLIP-CLOP: CLIP-guided collage and photomontage. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2205.03146
- Odiah, A., & Gosling, S. D. (2024). Laying the foundations for using generative AI images in architectural research: Do images convey the intended spaces and ambiances? Architectural Intelligence, 3, Article 35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44223-024-00076-x
- Öztürk, E. E. (2022). Making the modern city visible: A study on montage, collage and photomontage [Master’s thesis, Middle East Technical University]. Middle East Technical University Open Repository.
- Park, S. Y. (2026). Architectural design in the age of generative AI: Toward a balance between efficiency and responsibility. Architectural Research, 28, Article 4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44515-026-00006-0
- Rezwana, J., & Maher, M. L. (2022). Designing creative AI partners with COFI: A framework for modeling interaction in human-AI co-creative systems. In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Computational Creativity.
- Shi, M., Seo, J. O., Cha, S. H., Xiao, B., & Chi, H. L. (2024). Generative AI-powered architectural exterior conceptual design based on the design intent. Journal of Computational Design and Engineering, 11(5), 125–142. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcde/qwae077
- Tan, L., & Luhrs, M. (2024). Using generative AI Midjourney to enhance divergent and convergent thinking in an architect’s creative design process. The Design Journal, 27(4), 677–699. https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2024.2353479
- Wadinambiarachchi, S., Kelly, R. M., Pareek, S., Zhou, Q., & Velloso, E. (2024). The effects of generative AI on design fixation and divergent thinking. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2403.11164
- Wang, X., Qi, W., & Xu, W. (2024). The application of AIGC technology based on information visualization in visual communication design. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Multimedia Communication Technologies.
Published
2026-06-30
How to Cite
Scalzo, M., & Spennato, A. (2026). Latent images: From radical utopias to generative models: new approaches to design and visual communication. AND Journal of Architecture, Cities and Architects, 49(1), 90-101. Retrieved from https://and-architettura.it/index.php/and/article/view/713
Section
Articles
Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
