In the solo exhibition Homage To Quan Am, artist Maria Than depicted a ‘visual diary’ to show her journey of self-discovery and growing up. She reflected on her body, her mind, and her soul, combining together animation, interactive digital works, virtual reality, AI and computer-generated imagery, exploring concepts of cultural assimilation. In the final piece, Un de perdu, dix de retrouvés (Plenty of Fish in the Sea), Than utilises the way of ‘Sand Mandala’ as a container to situate an AI-generated digital painting of the Three Saints of the West. With the medium of sand as a healing and purifying interface, participants are encouraged to experience the work through their hands and skin, sensing the soft texture and the droppings of time. The sand reaches the centre of the hands, meanwhile falls through the fingers, and some of the sand remains on the skin. It shares the similar characteristics of an hourglass, where time circles again and again, following the movement of being turned up or down. This is also connected to the concept behind life and death theory in Buddhism, which recognises a continuous cycle of life, death and rebirth. This cycle is known as samsara, and the ultimate aim of Buddhist practice is to become free from samsara. However, all of the above reflections are subjected to the materiality of human beings and the spiritual process within self-discoveries, the interference of Artificial Intelligence technology should be taken into critical consideration. Are the AI-generated gods still gods? In this case, are they still ‘The Three Saints From the West’? Could AI itself be regarded as a god in the machine? And how does this recognition affect AI being used in artistic creations and understandings? It is always a continuous negotiation between religious values and technological innovations, as the subversion of the humanistic tradition of Buddhism with a new instrumental rationality. According to my conversation with the artist, she regarded AI as a tool to help the final production of the artwork, in other words, what AI did was to speed the publishing process, without adding more concepts with technological dystopias. What’s interesting is the outcomes, or the actions from the participants, what’s being left to their circle of life experiences and how they reflect back to the work.
14th April, 2024
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