INFLUENTIA: Le Random’s Collections and Digital Generative Art History
INFLUENTIA
Building upon the concept of the “Influencer,” Influentia spotlights pioneering artists in generative art and AI/GAN history from Le Random’s collection. These visionaries have pushed boundaries and wield great influence in contemporary artistic discourse.
Influence is a gradual, continuous force which doesn’t move in a single direction. It’s a nuanced dialogue where trailblazers shape the next generation, and so on – while newer generations can also influence prior generations. This ongoing, omnidirectional conversation birthed today’s flourishing generative art space.
The exhibition begins with Herbert W. Franke and Vera Molnár, whose groundbreaking work in the 1960s explored algorithmic approaches to art. They were at the forefront of investigating the intersection between art and computing, revealing the potential of machines to unlock human expression.
As Molnár stated: “This may sound paradoxical, but the machine, which is thought to be cold and inhuman, can help to realize what is most subjective, unattainable, and profound in a human being.”
Generative artists draw inspiration not only from other creative coders, but also from contemporary and modern art, as well as movements throughout art history. Design, architecture, illustration, and film are also influences.
We encourage you not only to forge connections between the pieces in Influentia, but also to consider the vast, intricate web of influences that might have shaped them. The exhibition invites contemplation of the dynamic dialogue between the past, present, and future of generative art. -Danielle King
Through Machine’s Eyes
The world as seen by computers gradually becomes our dominant reality; artificial intelligence and algorithms, like the new age photography, are high technological constructs and unexplored territories filled with unknowns.
The works by Tom White exhibited in this showcase redefine our understanding of the world through the gaze of algorithms. “Perception Engine II,” “Composition with Red Blue and Yellow,” “Glow Job,” and “Pitch Dream” delve into this concept: how machines perceive, comprehend, and express the world. As machine perception becomes increasingly ubiquitous in our daily lives, the world created by computers is slowly becoming our primary reality. Additionally, pioneers in the long-term study of AI art, such as Refik Anadol, Mario Klingemann, and Helena Sarin, bring various possibilities from different perspectives through their observations of AI GAN art.
Finally, Taiwanese generative artist Aluan Wang is also pushing the boundaries of creation through artificial intelligence. His new work, “Diary of the Sea: Life on Southern Island,” combines p5.js and AI algorithms in collaboration to portray more scenes of nature and life’s confrontations.
Most of the artworks in this exhibition are provided by Ju-Chun Ko (daaab.eth). Besides promoting new technology, he holds a different identity outside the classroom: a blockchain art collector who uses his collection to document the technological art history he perceives, subtly enabling others to see the world as seen by the machines he collects.
- Date: Dec 8th, 2023 (Fri) – Jan 7th, 2024 (Sun)
- Time: 10:00-18:30 [Closed on Dec 13 & 14th]
- Location: IEgo Art – FindARTs Gallery
- Address: 2nd Floor, No. 23, Lane 30, Section 4, Xinyi Road, Da’an District, Taipei City 106
- Transport: 5-minute walk from Daan MRT Station
- Opening Reception and Talk: Dec 16th (Sat) 15:00
- Visual and Graphic Design: ssshihtung
- Host: AUO Optronics, i/o lab
- Curators: akaswap, Le Random, Volume DAO
- Co-host: c2x3, iEgoArt
- Supported by Le Random and National Culture and Arts Foundation’s “Act for the Future”
- FB: https://fb.me/e/4Tc1w1MIg
