Harm van den Dorpel
Harm van den Dorpel (he/him) his practice focuses on emergent systems and the role technology plays in their development and meaning. Engaging with diverse materials and forms, including works on paper, sculpture, computer-generated graphics and software, van den Dorpel’s works are continuously evolving, informed by feedback loops and the design of algorithmic systems. Working within and beyond the lineage of ‘net art’, a core aspect of van den Dorpel’s practice is software development that addresses specific approaches to artificial intelligence. With immense skill and craftsmanship, he builds advanced systems that draw on intuition and subliminal processes of the mind in order to continually output unexpected and curious aesthetic forms that embody a feeling of subconscious computation.
Choreographed Events
02.09 – 05.11.2023
The activations in Choreographed Events may be choreographed by various factors. Before you enter this exhibition, ChatGPT* is laying out a few possible elements:
1. The curator or artists behind this exhibition may have choreographed the activations for you. They could have planned specific interactions to create a cohesive and immersive experience.
2. The display with loading circles in the exhibition suggests that technology might be involved. An activation mechanism could program the choreography.
3. The activations might also rely on random or algorithmic processes. As the artworks interact unpredictably, visitors’ experiences may change.
4. Audience participation might be at play. Another potential choreographer could be you. Your actions or your presence might trigger or control the activations when engaging with the exhibited instruments.
Choreographed Events could be designed to challenge conventional narratives, which some viewers might interpret through a conspiratorial lens. They speculate about coded messages behind the artworks. Due to the lights, sound, motion and patterns, others could establish the relationship between the activations in the gallery space and natural phenomena. The exhibition could prompt spectators to consider their own and collective body with nature by juxtaposing the gallery space and natural phenomena.
The video on the screen at the entrance of Garage Rotterdam is a conversation between the curator of the exhibition, Bogomir Doringer and ChatGPT. It serves as an introduction text and guided tour through the displayed artworks. How do we feel about AI’s interpretation of art?
Overall, people’s feelings about AI’s presence can vary widely, ranging from fascination and acceptance to scepticism and concern. The acceptance and integration of AI in the art world will likely continue to be a topic of discussion and exploration as technology evolves.
Video: Rafael Kozdron
* ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI, launched on November 30, 2022.