Advertisement
Alex Markwith : Synthetic Visions 6.9.-24.10.2024
Exhibition Space Ahjo
Free Entry
The exhibition 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 (“remember that you must die”), 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.
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.
About the artist:
Alex Markwith is a visual artist based in Helsinki. Originally from the USA, he lived in New York for ten years.
Markwith’s works have been exhibited in over 50 exhibitions worldwide including Paris, Berlin, Helsinki, New York, Los Angeles and Dubai and are held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and numerous private collections.
Markwith is a member of Taidemaalariliitto and Helsinki Artists’ Association and has received grants from the City of Helsinki and the Arts Promotion Center of Finland (Taike). He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design (Painting, 2011) and completed the school’s European Honors Program in Rome, Italy.
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.
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Kulttuuriaukio 2, 02100 Espoo, Finland, Kulttuuriaukio 2, FI-02100 Espoo, Suomi,Espoo, Finland
