Hannes Hummel, a Cologne-based artist and designer, has long been interested in the interface between digital technologies and nature. Hummel has already collaborated on an elaborate and detailed collection of fake specimens, and his current endeavor extends the limits of floral design to a curiously bizarre world and place. You're bound to be impressed.
Hybrid Species by Hannes Hummel - A Must-See Project
Hybrid Species, a huge herbarium of imagined species, includes 80 otherworldly botanical depictions. Translucent petals with colorful veins, pistils oozing with a sticky substance, and leaves wrapping like tubular tendrils transport the hyperrealistic flowers to another dimension.
Much of Hummel's work is importing photographs and natural patterns such as tessellations and fractals into digital software. For this project, he trained an A.I. model with his own photos and 3D models, examining the tools' personally generative potential while avoiding adding others' copyrighted works.
.jpg "Hybrid species art by Hannes Hummels")
He states:
"Like nature, the process sometimes veers off in unexpected directions, feeling random at times, while at others, it follows a clear path, uncovering new possibilities. This intersection between human imagination and machine-driven innovation fascinates me most in each flower design. In this series, nature is portrayed not as it is, but as it could be—reimagined, reshaped, and rendered through algorithms."
Flowers at the Core of His Inspiration
Flowers, fruits, and other botanical features are combined to create hyperrealistic hybrids that feel both familiar and alien, drawing influence from a wide range of real-world species. They have always been at the heart of the artists' series, acting as the main exponent. Each design represents Hannes's interest in nature and the symbolic meanings of flowers throughout cultures and history. It's a multidimensional link that combines beauty, symbolism, emotion, and historical context.
.jpg "Four different AI arts from Hybrid Species")
Said by the digital artist, floral art has developed over time to reflect changing trends and tastes. With the advent of AI tools, his workflow and creative process have evolved into an ongoing activity rather than a one-time transaction. The process, like nature, occasionally veers off in unexpected directions, making it appear random, while at other times it follows a defined course, revealing new possibilities. The intersection of human ingenuity and machine-driven innovation in each floral design fascinates Hummels the most.
In this series, nature is portrayed not as it is, but as it could be—reimagined, molded, and recreated using algorithms. Hybrid Species depict vegetation from a parallel planet, with nature photographed via a digital lens rather than a mirror.
What do you think? Art is growing and changing in ways people cannot even imagine (in a good way, of course!). Hummel shares the complete design process behind each mix and hybridization of each flower directly on his website. Visit Hybrid Species by Hannes Hummels to see everything.
Photos by Hannes Hummel
