Talk
April 24, 2025 – "Decorative objects "
In an email from an old friend, an artist who was in a dark mode, I read the following sentence (translated to English):
I mean, I manufacture goods, a kind of decorative objects, that I thought would sell, but a large part of my time is spent being disappointed.
What made this sentence stick in my memory is not the well known complaint about it being hard to sell your work. We all share this complaint. It was his matter-of-fact definition of the artist, in his case a painter, as "a manufacturer of decorative objects". (In the original Swedish it doesn't sound stilted: "en tillverkare av prydnadsföremål"). I mean, it is obviously true, from a professional point of view (i.e. if you live from your work) Sure, I earn a large part of my living from teaching, but that is selling my time as an expert on the production of "decorative objects". Someone may argue that artist X or Y is only making unsellable work/performances/installations. Yes, OK, but if this artist is indeed able to live from their work, it is because of the impact of their manufacture of "decorative" objects/performances/installations/whatever – which generates other income perhaps in the form of grants, down the line.
I'm not lying when I say that I never had this clear realization before (of being a "manufacturer" of...). I always saw the work (the "decorative objects") as parts of a bigger whole, which will eventually reveal itslef. I still do.
April 20, 2025 – "Life science"
For a long time already I have held a special aversion towards scientists and investors who aim to find the clue to eternal life. Just imagine if they did. It would not be made available for everyone, that we can be sure of (imagine the immediate planetary over-crowding). It would be there for a small group of very, very rich people, who would build fortresses (financial as well as physical) for themselves in their younger, more active days – so that they can enjoy their eternity in comfort. Forget you ever heard of something called democracy. Forget everything about mutual society.
I think the techical problems are not possible to solve, actually, but the hybris of so many clever people searching for these solutions, without even considering the societal problems a success would cause, is mindblowing to me. The Economist in a recent article also largely avoided the wider implications, but in the letters section two weeks later I read some very clearheaded questions. One Dr John Hodge writes:
Wanting to be superhuman is the peak of arrogance. What if Stalin did not die and remained in power for ever? Or J. Edgar Hoover? If the old did not die their ideas and way of life would govern us for ever. We would today be living as people did millennia ago. No, for the sake of humanity, it is best that the old die off (including me, but not yet), so the young can bring about change.
I think his examples of Stalin and Hoover were (understandably) historical. A more up-to-date example would be... Elon Musk.
April 16, 2025 – "Eat bitterness"
After I had uploaded the post below, about the glorious victory of the penguins against the orange man, I spoke to a film director friend, who had also seen the two videos. He pointed out how common the use of AI generated video already is, with Youtube being full of AI made trailers for impossible collaborations "nnn directed by Fritz Lang" etc. I had missed that, as I mainly watch music videos on Youtube. He also said that if a director produces an elevator pitch trailer for a film idea now, it will all be AI video.
When I finished the manuscript for "Art Intelligence – How Generative AI relates to Human Art-Making" in January 2024 I knew of no prompt-to-video software which had been publicly released, (I did have a footnote though, stating "Though early versions of generative text-to-video AI exist in 2024"). I read now on Wikipedia that the earliest text-to-video, was a demo version of a Chinese language model called CogVideo, which appeared in late 2022. This development is incredibly fast, and it is only the beginning.
Later yesterday I heard a fascinating, really hard hitting podcast about another fast developing situation, this time the stand-off between Washington and Beijing . It's two New York Times journalists in conversation; Ezra Klein, who is younger, is talking to Thomas Friedman. It seems Friedman has been around since forever, but I have never heard (or read) him being this apocalyptic about the chances of his country (and the world). His is the most solid explanation why this crisis will go the same way as the one with DPR: Chinese can take the pain – "eating bitterness" – Americans can not. And pain there will be. Pain there already is.
April 15, 2025 – "Democratic Penguins Republic"
Soon two weeks into the historical madness of one man (and his cowed compatriotes) launching financial war on the rest of the world with the stated intention of making his country "great again". Whatever the result, it will be the opposite of the purpose for which it was declared. In the meantime, the penguins of the Heard and McDonald Islands have declared "total war" on the US, after having been hit with a 10 % tarif on their alleged trade imbalance with this country (having – allegedly – exported US$ 1.4 million of "machinery and electrical" products in 2022 while importing nothing). The fierce patriotism and resistance of the DPR as well as its subsequent victory over the orange menace can be examined in these two propaganda documentaries: "Trade War" and "Victory Day!".
On a technical note, when I came across these two documentaries yesterday I was mightily impressed by the possibilities of AI generated video. The creator, one demonflyingfox, will have come up with the idea, written the music (borrowing cleverly), the lyrics (original), carefully storyboarded the action... and then used AI generative tools for realizing what five (two?) years ago would have taken a huge group of animators and specialist months to create. The first video was released five days ago, the second yesterday. How long did he (she?) work on each one? I'd like to quote three comments, which appeared below "Victory Day!":
Honestly this is the best use of AI I've seen. Instead of trying to imitate artstyles, Ai creates it's own unique recognizable artstyle, that way everyone is happy.
(@Ezboy666z)
It is always the human behind making the decision to create or to copy. AI, the tool itself, cannot make a deliberate choice to copy the art style of someone else.
(@powerfullypoweredpowerfulpower)
The essence of AI is that a person receives a quick prototype that somehow performs its task. If this video was made by hand, one could argue for a long time what each little thing means. When in this case with AI, all the value is the general message, when (sic!) you can ignore small details.
(@Свободныйслушатель)
April 2, 2025 – "The real world"
These are strange days. Just about everyone with an interest in where the world is going, is waiting today for the announcement of the American tarifs, an to see them put in place and trigger counter tarifs from all directions. "Liberation day" it is called, by the chief instigator. Liberation from what? How is it possible that soemtimes the very same people in that country on the other side of the ocean, can be so brilliant in some areas, and so idiotic in other. I'm reading an article in the New Yorker titled "Are We Taking A.I. Seriously Enough?" and not only is the way it is written crystal clear and enagaging , it is describing a reality which is being changed irrevocably by the invention of largely American geniuses. It is scary too, of course, because this development is leading towards AGI and who knows what the idiotic battalions of American geniuses may try to use it for, before it breaks lose and take over. A couple of days ago I read an article titled "Instagram Experiments With AI-Generated Comments on Posts " from which I want to offer three quotes:
Apparently, Instagram is now experimenting with AI-generated comments on posts, so you don’t even have to come up with an opinion, or an original thought of your own, in order to respond to an update.
In fact, Meta’s also working on that in an even more literal sense, by enabling users to create their own AI bot versions of themselves, which can then engage with other users based on your chosen personality traits and responses.
Meta’s also reportedly experimenting with AI-generated bot profiles, which will interact like humans throughout its apps. The benefit of this is that when a real human user posts, they’ll get more responses from these bots, with maybe hundreds of comments automatically being assigned to your posts. Maybe that then encourages more actual humans to also comment, and maybe that then encourages more humans to post themselves, and eventually, these AI bots just blend into the broader interactive mix, while also sparking more connection between real people.
Yes people, this is exactly what is needed. Meanwhile, real people use their very real powers to destroy as much as possible in the real world.
March 8, 2025 – "Culture Revolution"
In an article called "Den amerikanska kulturrevolutionen" (The American Culture Revolution) in Swedish online magazine Kvartal, journalist and China Expert Ola Wong compares what is now happening in the US with Mao Zedong's Culture Revolution, which caused mayhem in China between 1966 and 1976. Wong refers to observations by a number of Chinese monitors of American society and politics, as well as American sinologists, such as a recent article by Orville Schell. In it Schell compares the recent activities of Elon Musk, with the actions of Red Guard Leader and chaos agent Kuai Dafu in Beijing in 1966.
Orville Schell ends his article thus:
Mao, who would have welcomed the catastrophe now unfolding in America, must be looking down from his Marxist-Leninist heaven with a smile, as the East wind may finally be prevailing over the West wind – a dream for which he had long hoped.
March 1, 2025 – "Hitting hard"
Last night I went to see a band I hadn't heard of until a few weeks ago: Ankor. I enjoyed it. I was particularly impressed by the drummer, a tiny Greek woman called Eleni Nota. From behind her minimalist kit at the back, she nevertheless dominated the stage. Hitting very hard. Back at home I had a quick look at the news and saw that the meeting between the American and Ukrainian presidents in Washington had broken down in acrimony. Zelensky was again totally insulted by the Americans and decided not to take it. It is so absolutely awful the way the new American regime is insulting Ukraine and its president. Aside from the very real political and existential possible consequences of this attitude – or is it a "strategy"? – the emotional impact of just hearing about it is excruciating. It hits so hard. My admiration for Zelensky for being able to continue the fight without losing his mind is immense. As it is for all the fighters of Ukraine.
This is the historian Tomothy Snyder laying out in less han six minutes the five fundamental errors committed by the American leaders in that disaster meeting I refer to above.
His words are simple and easy to follow and they are devastating. For the Americans.
February 21, 2025 – "Mystic Lamb"
This morning I sat for a long time in the freezing cold of Saint Bavo's Cathedral, staring at van Eyck's altarpiece, which was installed there 593 years ago. When I arrived, there were 5-6 other visitors, all seated quietly in a row of chairs with a wall behind them. I took one of the empty chairs. No one moved. No one said anything. We were all just looking at the paintings in front of us, as thousands and thousands and thousands of others have done over all these years that have seen so much despair, so many disasters and catastrophes come and go. Joy also. In the painting they are celebrating ultimate joy and because of the wonder of the way it was done, that joy becomes relatable and gives hope. After maybe fifteen, maybe twenty minutes, one of the spectators got up to go nearer. Then we all did. Soon more people arrived. A very special moment had passed.
February 19, 2025 – "Digitality"
I arrived in Ghent yesterday, before my work had. That was a bit worrying, two days before the opening of a big show. Three hours later a big truck arrived and the problem was solved. A beautiful wall had been built for my work and there were lots of technicians working on the other installations, which were so much more complex than mine. After I had measured and calculated I got two of them to help me and in half an hour my installation was finished. Around me the chaos continued: computers, piles of screens, projectors, wires... artists everywhere programming, connecting, working endlessly. I'm not jealous. I'm also pleased to see that my Psycho-Mapping work, which is fundamentally analogue, even if it has been printed digitally, can more than hold its own in a sea of digitality.
February 16, 2025 – "Automatic"
No longer completely ignoring developments outside (see below) I want to annouce the opening on Thursday, February 20, at Zebrastraat in Ghent, Belgium, of an exhibition with the unwieldy name NTAa '25. Easier to remember is the theme of the show "Intelligence it's automatic". I will have a large work in the international selection (as well as a text in the catalogue), chosen by curator Thierry Dufrêne.
Q. And what is the connection to the world outside?
A. My work is "Psycho-Mapping Europe Post Brexit". It was last seen in Moscow at the New Tretyakov Gallery in an exhibition cut short by the full invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
February 13, 2025 – "Singles"
Ignoring all the developments outside, which I could easily write a very long diatribe about, I can now proudly announce that also the single prints of the book "2024" have been added to the ever expanding archive.
The book itself is exhibited until February 28, in "Best of 2024" at Galerie DRUCK & BUCH in Vienna.
January 18, 2025 – "2024"
I have finally uploaded a full documentation of my (artist's) book "2024". It is the obvious follow-up to "2022". The idea behind both was to reflect the year in which they were made, and be sure to finish work on them well before the year is over. As each book has 12 main images, there is a certain calendar aspect to them, which I find interesting as a challenge. The 2022 book was all in black. The new book have two colour prints in red and flesh colour. Let's say it made a lot of sense.
As I prepared to write this I noticed that I made a post here about having – finally – uploaded the documentation of "2022" also in January of the following year. Have a look.
January 16, 2025 – "North Pole"
I am back in Berlin, and will soon leave again. After the plane had taken off from Haneda, I was watching the map on the screen in front of me, waiting for it to turn westwards. But it never did. It flew north, and north... passing east of Sachalin and later we were over Alaska and the next airport (for emergency landing?) was Barrow... and then we flew north of the arctic Canadian islands and I wondered how close to the North Pole we came, before we were over Greenland and then at some point, begun heading south, towards warmer climes. I kept photographing the map, to be able to prove to myself, where I had been. I own many analog maps, but now I think I need to buy a globe as well.
I have added pictures of the Man Ray exhibition, including my individual photos from his studio and grave. I have also added the final Trial Drawings finished at the end of 2024. Some of these were actually begun years ago, and then left lingering in a box, when I didn't know how to continue. Last summer I picked up some from this box and started adding to them, hoping for content to come and meet me. And for these drawings it did. For which I am very grateful.
January 12, 2025 – "Translation magic"
For a long time already I have been using software translation apps. First Google translate, nowadays almost exclusively DeepL. I had already been using Google translate for years (being continually frustrated by the unreliable results), when at the end of either 2017 or 2018 something decisive happened: overnight the results were suddenly so much better. What had happened? I learned later that at this point Google had reorganized the whole machinery behind the app and begun using neural networks. At some point later DeepL appeared and it soon became clear that it was even better. Yet what I wanted to note now is that yesterday, in the Man Ray exhibition, which has extensive commentary on wall labels, to basically all works and objects (and only in Japanese), I started using the camera function in the translation app. I don't know why I never even tried this before. But wow, is this not magic? To be able to point the phone to a dense Japanese text, and after a little while there appears a completely readable and fluid translation, which has very few mistakes. I'm astonished.
January 11, 2025 – "Hachioji"
I'm in Tokyo, I arrived yesterday and have spent the day in Hachioji, at the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. This was the first day of the exhibition "Man Ray of Our Affections", with the subtitle "An Exhibition Celebrating the 135th Anniversary of His Birth". I'm in it, together with Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Meret Oppenheim... and lot's of Man Ray, of course. I have seven documentary photos which I shot in Paris between 1979 and 1983 (I can't be more precise, unfortunately). Six of these are from the studio, which I used to visit frequently after I had become friends with Juliet Man Ray in the beginning of 1978.
One photo is of Man Ray's tomb, in its first version, when there was just a simple handpainted sign on a stick. It said: "Man Ray, 86 ans 1976". A couple of years later Juliet made the decision to add an egg shaped vertical slab with the inscription "Unconcerned but not indifferent – Man Ray 1890-1976 – Love Juliet". It was one of his soundbites, and it made sense, and it was still simple. Coming up from the grass. After Juliet had passed in 1991 and was buried here as well, her family (her brother) made the decision to turn the grave into something rather different. You can google it if you like.
The exhibition is based on work from two extensive Japanese museum collections, the Fuji Museum's own, and the Okazaki City Museum (I was surprised how much both of them have) and the private collection of my friends Teruo Ishihara and his wife Junko. Their collection is truly a labour of love and it couldn't be more fitting that we first met in Man Ray's studio on Rue Férou in the summer of 1982 – when they had their honeymoon. Which they combined with a pilgrimage to Paris and managed to be invited for a visit. Teruo had been obsessed with Man Ray for more than ten years already, and he still is. On that day, I was there as well.
I spent the whole day at the museum and in the evening we went for dinner at an izakaya. It was lovely. The exhibition is great, it includes a number of very early work which I had no idea existed, and it has lots and lots of super interesting printed matter which Teruo has managed to locate and acquire. Our friendship is very dear to me. We have met now five times: in 1982 in Paris, 2014 in Kyoto, 2024 both in Kyoto and in Vienna – and now 2025 in Hachioji. It feels like family.
January 1, 2025 – "Stormy"
One year ago, I asked "What will the world look like on January 1, 2025?".
It is now 1 pm on that day. Where I am it is grey. The wind is roaring with brutal force in trees which are waving and bending over. It is not a day to go outside.