Guntars Sietiņš (LV)
Text written by GHA
In his combinations of mezzotint and aquatint, Latvian artist Guntars Sientiņš lures the viewer into a sinister cyberspace.
Sietiņš’s numerical codes and puzzling reflections are an illusionary study of perspective, stretching and molding a detailed landscape. In his print, a mysterious orb lies in the middle of a dimension that seems to exist only in coding language. Upon closer inspection, the shiny surface captures a precise oasis in a fish-eye perspective. The orb allows a peek at what is beyond the viewer’s perspective, expanding the frame to show the surrounding natural scenery.
A mysterious tree unfurls its branches in a network that seems to resemble a maze. On the ground, an arrangement of coding shapes an infinity symbol, inviting the viewer to ponder over the sequence of the numbers. The cyber-elements juxtapose the natural environment within the orb. This clever contrast challenges the viewer to question the relationship between biological life and technology. Our society is becoming more dependent on technology, while biodiversity and the stability of our environment are increasingly at risk. Sietiņš’s print transports the audience to what seems to be a prospection to the hybrid future of the world. Here, the ominous tree leaves a symbolic impression, as a lonely tree of life standing in a bleak mechanical wasteland.
Puzzling and suspenseful, the viewer is left in this digital desert to question the direction of humanity’s relationship with artificial intelligence. The image plays a trick on the audience’s sense of perspective, portraying an illusionary play of reflections, shadows, and mathematical logic.
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Characters IX/Infinity
