META-SCAPES
OPENING FEBRUARY 13TH
A SOLO SHOW BY HELIO SANTOS
Curatorial statement
META-SCAPES
This series explores the concept of the artificiality of landscapes as social and cultural constructs. By employing imagery commonly perceived as "natural," the series seeks to question how such perceptions are constructed, probe the nature of reality itself, and examine the ways in which our active perception shapes these constructs.
The creation process is intrinsically tied to code and algorithms, which serve as the driving force behind the work. The project begins with the generation of hundreds of landscapes using machine learning diffusion models. These generated landscapes are then compiled into a dataset, which feeds an artificial vision algorithm specifically designed by the artist.
The algorithm processes, classifies, and reconfigures the pixel data from these landscapes, recontextualizing and synthesizing new landscapes. By leveraging the pixel as the fundamental unit of digital information, the series reveals new ways of understanding and constructing what we perceive as "natural".
ARTIST BIO
Helio Santos is a Mexican Artist working with data, internet, and technology with background in painting and digital art. Currently in the field of AI and creative coding using the landscape as a vehicle to explore the complex dynamics between humans, nature, and machines.
Viewing technology as an extension of the body, in his work serves as both a statement and philosophy. Through his work, he critically examines society’s relationship with technology and nature. Santos’s work was showcased in selected global exhibitions in Paris, New York, London, Lisbon, South Korea, Tokyo, México City, Copenhagen, Buenos Aires, Rome, Zurich, and Barcelona.