A R K I T E K T U M’s interview

The A R K I T E K T U M Interview

A conversation with AI Artist A R K I T E K T U M, aka @arkitek666 on X

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED ON FEBRUARY 2, 2025

ALL IMAGES BY A R K I T E K T U M ARE GENERATED USING MIDJOURNEY AND LEONARDO UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE

There’s a powerful stillness and cinematic awe that radiates from the diverse work of A R K I T E K T U M—a name that has quickly become synonymous with sci-fi grandeur, architectural vision, and ambient design. Architect by profession, tech enthusiast by nature, and AI world-builder by passion, he merges his real-world expertise with a childlike sense of wonder rooted in the magic of cinema. From Blade Runner’s neon melancholy to H.R. Giger’s haunting alien beauty, his inspirations are deeply ingrained in every glowing edge and monumental form he renders.

Working across photorealism and illustration, A R K I T E K T U M conjures towering monoliths, surreal portals, reflective android deities, and hypermodern structures wrapped in fog and mystery. His style is both industrial and spiritual, oscillating between the deeply technological and the sublimely poetic. You’ll find moments of quiet reverence—a single figure standing before a monolithic red wall or a cosmic sculpture suspended in light—alongside gritty architectural shots of impossible buildings lit by eerie glows and lined with minimalist circuitry.

He captures solitude and scale like few others, often placing tiny human figures against monumental backdrops to emphasize the enormity of space, structure, and imagination. Light plays a central role in his visual language—sunsets reflecting across surreal landscapes, ambient glows illuminating abstract installations, or dramatic chiaroscuro falling across alien artifacts. His aesthetic is rooted in the architectural, but always reaching for something more emotional, even spiritual—a vision of humanity confronting the unknowable future it helped build.

On X, A R K I T E K T U M is not only a creator, but also a friendly collaborator and challenger, actively pushing the community with micro-challenges, quote tweets, and experimental prompts. He’s a constant explorer of what AI tools can do, always searching for that next surreal breakthrough. Whether it's a cybernetic god in a digital cathedral, a ghostly portal etched into the desert, or a glowing textile installation that feels like a breath caught in time, his images stay with you—mysterious, massive, and deeply inspired. I’m truly honored he accepted to be featured in this interview series.

Let’s discover A R K I T E K T U M together.

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Without getting too personal, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Tony, I have a beautiful family. Since I was a child, I have been painting and building models, and assembling models, which led me to study architecture and design. I am dedicated to architecture and construction, I have a master's degree in industrial design and I like to paint with graphite and watercolors.

I am enthusiastic about learning new things and love to travel and enjoy good wine in good company.

I am in love with my profession and passionate about technology and visual arts.

Could you please tell us which country you live in?

I am Mexican by birth, when I finished my studies in Mexico I went to work in the USA for a while. Then, I had the opportunity to do an internship for 3 years in Japan, and now I am in Buenos Aires doing a housing development.

I am a nomad since my job requires me to be wherever my services are requested.

What led you to begin working with AI imagery?

Architecture is a career that is always at the forefront of visual issues; how to show a project to a client will always be an important issue, so dedicating myself to illustration, either freehand or with a computer, is part of my job.

I started doing renderings more than 20 years ago so always being in search of the right material and the right lighting is an everyday thing. Discovering AI gave an important leap to my work, and as a creative trigger, it always gives me what I need to innovate in my designs. I realized that I was making a lot of images, and I didn't know what to do with them, so I decided to start sharing my work on X (I have a page on INSTAGRAM where I only share architecture), and I found a community of artists who like you, are great AI artists, and now I'm really hooked on everything that ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE means.

What AI tools do you use?

It all started with Stable Diffusion because it is a very complete platform. For today, I only use Midjourney and Leonardo as my base platforms for the speed and quality of their images.

What inspires you?

Since I was a child, cinema has always been my source of inspiration. When I was young, I wanted to be a filmmaker and dedicate myself to special effects. Blade Runner helped a lot to form my idea that the future should always be part of the search as an architect, but it was ALIEN, specifically the designs of H.R. Giger, that defined the theme of what it is to know how to design. I had the fortune to visit Mr. Giger in Switzerland, and he showed me his office. To see how he made his designs and models was definitely the main trigger, and to get closer to that, the only thing I had at hand was to study architecture.

Untitled

(One of @revelinai’s favorite images by A R K I T E K T U M)

In which other medium, if any, do you practice art?

Oh, I think I've answered a lot of this before, but I should add that besides my profession, I also teach design and drawing, so in a way, I'm always doing art!

Would you consider AI-generated art true art?

As an academic in the faculty of architecture, in art classes, it is established that only artists exist, and to say that something is ART is not up to us.

Art requires a lot of time–and the majority of the INTELLECTUAL community (musicians, poets, writers, filmmakers, sculptors, etc.)–to declare that something is called ART.

I can not say that what I do is art, I just do things and others are the ones who qualify my work. If I do architecture I don't decide if it's art, I just try to do the best I can with what is within my reach.

In the world of painting there are millions of artists but only very few things can be called ART.

And so it is here in the creation of images with AI. There are many artists, but I don't think we are yet in the faculty to say that something is ART. Surely in about 6 or 10 years we will be able to be clear which of all that has been done with AI is ART.

I just think that we should all continue to enjoy doing what we do and keep learning and sharing with others since no one can advance in anything if you have a comparative.

Please share one or a few of your favorite images with us.

Ok, here are 25 images I really like:

Untitled

Do you title your AI-generated art? If you do, what inspires you to come up with these titles?

Of course, all “my children” have always had names. If I create a house, a building, etc., they all have names.

In design, what prevails is the CONCEPT, and therefore, that is the essence of every CREATIVE field.

Practically most of the images I post have a concept. If I can define an image with a single word, for me it is perfect.

For me, everything must have a name or title.

When do you tend to be the most productive, and do you work in long sessions or short bursts?

Production for my profession is fundamental. Nothing is ever finished, and there is always room for improvement. So, I am constantly producing. I work approximately 12 hours a day. The images I make are made at times when I want to take a break from doing architecture or when I am looking for inspiration, but I don't give my mind time to abandon its creative aspect.

Inspiration comes to you whenever you are working.

QT Knight Art

What type of prompts do you prefer: text or AI-generated descriptions through fed images?

I learned from scratch creating the structure of the prompt and now that is part of me. The text is better because then I control perfectly what I want. If some image is not what I want it means that I don't know how to say it clearly yet. Making prompts in text helps a lot to make your brain work better.

When prompting with text, do you write simple text-based prompts or complex ones?

There are images that do not require much, and there are others that require you to clearly define what you want, I can do a complete project with AI, but I must know perfectly what I want: measurements, materials, lighting, objects in the scene, technical specifications, etc., which is not the same as saying I want a minimalist house.

I love complex prompts for the results. Seeing something complex come to reality is the best!

Do you think text-based prompts should be shared within the AI art community?

I think it all helps to shape and define what AI is today. I don't mind sharing what I do, although as an academic, I believe that everyone should learn and make their own prompts, as that is what defines artistic differences.

What is the most unconventional method you have used to create an image?

In architecture, we do an experiment called "Cadavre exquis" which helps to create new things by having your eyes closed and seeing what comes out at the end. Sometimes, I do the same in AI. I experiment without seeing anything, and I try to always find the positive in the experiments.

How many images have you generated using AI technology?

Uff, that’s a question I wanted to ask of many of you. I do not know if I have created too much or too little (and surely there are people who have made more images than me). I have a hard disk with approximately 60,000 images made in almost a year and a half of creation, not counting the thousands that I have deleted. What do I do with them? Many will never be shared, but I don't want to delete them because I know they have something special. Are you like that too?

Please share your X (Twitter) handle with us.

@arkitek666

Tell us a bit about your X handle and X username.

My account is arkitek666, but I use A R K I T E K T U M because it is the name for my company dedicated to design and architecture. I started creating this character at the beginning of Twitter, and I used it to comment on architectural issues.

A R K I T E K T U M is my essence. It is an indivisible entity that cannot separate the AI artist from the Architect; it is already like a character that I carry with me.

How many X followers do you currently have?

Now I have 2900+

How many X accounts do you currently follow?

2100+ by now

How long have you been on X (Twitter)?

Since 2010

QT Something Black and Orange

QT Your female Knight.

Is there any other online platform where we can view all of your previous work apart from X?

I got another account on INSTAGRAM.

In this world of cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), are you currently selling your digital art on any platform? If so, which platform are you using?

Not yet but I accept suggestions and help to start doing it.

Are you selling tangible AI-generated artwork, such as high-quality prints like Giclée prints?

Not yet but I do want to do it.

Could you suggest some AI artists you like that we could follow?

As new friends and the Sacred Cows:

Y por supuesto un lugar especial par ti @revelinai because I learn so much of you.

The truth is, I am sure I am missing many more, which now escape my mind but are present in my learning.

Is there anything else you would like to add or share with the AI community?

First of all, be authentic, follow your hunches, and always have fun with it! Surely, like everything in life, doing things well always has a reward, but know that the first thing is to enjoy.

See the work of others, be humble, and recognize that there are very talented people making fantastic houses.

Always have the ability to learn.