12 Interpretations of Modern Art According to an Emoji Assigner

Not sure which emoji to attach to your Instagram post? The Emojini 3000 can help. The program, created by Curalate, is the product of a deep learning algorithm experiment where a computer neural network was trained on over 1 million Instagram posts to learn which emojis fit with which images. You can give it any picture, and it will return the best emojis for that image. For example: 

Not only can the algorithm take a collection of pixels and figure out what the objects in the picture are (Emojini uses Caffe from the Berkeley Vision and Learning Center for this part), it can translate the picture into the most appropriate emojis.

In some sense, what Emojini does is capture a highly simplified meaning of an image. So I wondered, how would it handle some famous modern art? What would it tell us these images “mean” in emoji? The results were often interesting! Here is how the Emojini 3000 interprets 12 works of art (and how we interpreted those emojis).

1. PIET MONDRIAN // COMPOSITION WITH BLUE

Our interpretation: "The bland facelessness imposed on us by modern, urban life can only be ameliorated with the music of color."

2. CHUCK CLOSE // BIG SELF PORTRAIT

Our interpretation: "When you look, standing right here close, you see that it's a painting, and you're like, 'cool!'"

3. RENÉ MAGRITTE // THE TREACHERY OF IMAGES

Our interpretation: "Note this: words will trick you."

4. SALVADOR DALI // THE ENIGMA OF DESIRE OR MY MOTHER, MY MOTHER, MY MOTHER

Our interpretation: "This bananas chick seems to follow me everywhere, like the moon."

5. MARCEL DUCHAMP // FOUNTAIN

Our interpretation: "Men make water and it goes in here. Weird."

6. ALBERTO GIACOMETTI // WALKING MAN

Our interpretation: "Life is struggle. Our bodies are small for the burdens we carry."

7. WASSILY KANDINSKY // CIRCLES IN A CIRCLE

Our interpretation: "Life, achievements, sustenance—all are limited by time."

8. PABLO PICASSO // LES DEMOISELLES D'AVIGNON

Our interpretation: "Look here, it's not adorable, it’s fierce."

9. JACKSON POLLOCK // AUTUMN RHYTHM

Our interpretation: "We are rooted in the dirt, like everything under it."

10. MARK ROTHKO // ORANGE AND YELLOW

Our interpretation: "Whether peaceful or destructive, it’s all the same light and it lives where we live."

11. ROBERT MOTHERWELL // RECONCILIATION ELEGY

Our interpretation: "Heartbreaking is the melody of only one hand reaching out for touch."

12. ANDY WARHOL // CAMPBELL'S SOUP CANS

Our interpretation: "At center we are our embrace of modern entertainments turned up to 100."

BONUS: LEONARDO DA VINCI // MONA LISA

OK, not modern art, but look! Emojini can't figure out her mysterious expression either!

Try your own images on the Emojini here.