"The essence of an existence is no longer a power deeply embedded within it; rather, it is the manifest law governing its successive appearances, the principle of its series." (Sartre, Jean-Paul. Being and Nothingness.)
This work employs artificial intelligence, specifically adversarial neural networks (GANs), to generate an infinite series of digital sculptures. This generation process is based on the learning from hundreds of physical sculptures that the artist crafted specifically for this project.
In creating the physical sculptures (pic 3), the artist utilized aluminum sheets and cor-ten steel plates. These materials were bent, welded, and paired with fabric shreds, following a meticulous and almost obsessive routine. The goal was to construct hundreds of forms, showcasing a continuum of tension between the materials.
After each physical sculpture was completed and its data recorded, the piece was destroyed. This allowed the same materials to be recycled and used in subsequent sculptures. As a result, the materials experienced increasing stress throughout their transformation.
The primary aim behind this creation process of the physical sculptures was to feed the neural networks with ample data. This would enable the AI to discern patterns of material combinations and learn the aesthetic principles of the series directly from the essence of the materials and labor involved.
The culmination of this project is the infinite digital sculptures, with the AI perpetually generating new ones.
This endeavor is the latest in my ongoing exploration of the quandary of existence, especially against the backdrop of the increasingly blurred lines that demarcate the physical from the artificial worlds.
More specifically, the work delves into a new aesthetic in the context of augmenting the artistic process with artificial intelligence. It questions reality via an existentialist lens, seeking the essence of existence not just within its physical form but in the principles that dictate its infinite manifestations.
The installation features a video projections that continuously showcase new AI-generated digital sculptures.
The raw materials, which served to train the AI, are accumulated at the base of the installation. Accompanying this visual is an auditory component: a manipulated recording capturing the sounds made during the creation of the physical sculptures.