OPENING RECEPTION:
Thursday 5.9. 17:00-20:00
EXHIBITION ON VIEW:
6.9.-24.10.2024
Espoon Kulttuurikeskus, Exhibition Space Ahjo
Kulttuuriaukio 2, 02100 Espoo, Finland
(Tapiola)
Opening reception drinks sponsored by Jeda Herrat.
The exhibition is open during the opening hours of Espoo Cultural Centre (Mon–Fri 8–21, Sat 9–18 and Sun open during events). Free entry.
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ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
"Synthetic Visions" continues Markwith’s exploration of artificial intelligence as a tool within his mixed media painting practice.
Recurring images include skulls, chess pieces and dice. Skulls recall the classical concept of memento mori, brought to the forefront as a central theme. Here the skull also serves as a reminder of what artificial intelligence lacks: a physical body and, by extension, mortality.
Chess pieces and dice are both familiar objects from tabletop games which provoke philosophical questions about strategy, chance, free will and logical systems.
Markwith feeds his own work to AI image generators and prints the resulting images to use as collage. The prints become intentionally damaged and shredded as they are reworked, torn and pasted to canvas, emphasizing the physicality of the art object over the flat image. Other works take the AI images as the compositional basis for new paintings without directly incorporating the prints.
The word synthetic has several meanings. It can describe something artificial or fake; it can also refer to a compound or hybrid substance. While Markwith uses AI in his process, discussion of its shortcomings and potential misuse remain an implicit part of the work. The question remains of who is in control.
Exhibition on view 6.9.-24.10.2024, Espoo Cultural Center, Ahjo Exhibition Space