Artist Statement

Exhibition. ISEA2023 selected artwork 

Artificial experience inspired by nature
Multimedia digital project, that immerses the spectator into a profound exploration of the transition to the digital era, interweaving it with the intrinsic value of nature and the collective experience of the past civilizations for creation of symbiotic coexistence of technology and ecosystem in the future. In this artwork the author demonstrates an authentic vision of the concept of visual art in contemporary aesthetics, capturing the process of change of the paradigm and creating an elegant form of transition from classical art to the art of future, concentrating attention on the delicate balance between technological advancement and our fundamental connection to the natural world.

Throughout the course of the history of civilization, nature has been a deep source of inspiration for humanity. Ancient motifs, floristic ornaments, animalistic totems and sacred geometries are skillfully interwoven into this project, serving as metaphors for our connection to nature. In this series the author offers an unexpected look at the primary natural forms, transformed by artistic vision. Human mind transforms elegant and sophisticated baroque floral ornaments into bizarre associative symbols and alive animalistic images. These symbiotic patterns endowed with ancient biological and, at the same time, futuristic high-tech features: from images of the spirits of nature and totems to images of technogenic mechanisms, biorobots, consisting of the petals of living plants.

Aesthetics of the project covers both natural and artificial sources of aesthetic experience. The image creates a dynamic effect, awakening images at a subconscious level, creating a connection of time between the aesthetics of the past and the future. The symbiosis of these artworks is a synthesis of the archaic and the futuristic, the natural and the technogenic. Looking to the civilizations of the past, the artist finds inspiration in the profound connection that our ancestors had with nature. Exploring and rethinking this experience, the author offers a way to reestablish that connection in our modern context. Leveraging technology, he strives to evoke the same emotions experienced by civilizations of the past, reminding us of the profound impact nature has had on our collective consciousness.

This is a research project, and an entire photo studio was involved in its implementation. Hundreds of photographs were taken before a way was found to achieve the desired result. Each image is not a collage of many photos. Each image is made from one photograph of one plant. It is a research of plants as the protagonists of this series of portraits, a reflection on the theme of post-humanity, a rethinking of an anthropology that does not place the human being at the center of attention, but which favors relational and interdependent relationships between organisms and the ecosystems, and the blurring of traditional boundaries between human and non-human. The viewer can see here different heroes with different characters and at different moments of life. All of them have a different age: from young plants in spring and summer to adult inflorescences in autumn.
ecosystem

Today, humanity is at the moment of transition to the digital era, therefore, in this project the artist strives to preserve the aesthetics of the idea of beauty and harmony. At this moment of transition has brought to the forefront a host of ecological challenges that demand our attention. Climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, ocean and atmosphere pollution are just a few of the urgent issues we face. As we marvel at the infinite possibilities of technology, we are confronted with the disconcerting reality of ecological degradation and its implications for our collective future. Author responds to these concerns by incorporating ecological narratives into the work, causing reflection, serving as catalysts for awareness and action.

These artworks provide opportunities for individuals to engage with nature on a visceral level. By fostering inspiration and understanding, these experiences can awaken a renewed appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the natural world, and in turn, motivate us to become active participants in preservation of the balance of ecosystems. The piece calls us to explore, and appreciate the profound beauty that lies within the intersection of the digital and the natural, offering us a glimpse into a future where technology and nature harmoniously coexist. One of the main goals of this artwork is to express the idea of the spiritualization of nature, which is directly related to the idea of the unity of all living things. The botanical hyperrealism of the “Photosynthesis Symbiosis” pushes the spectator to rethink the social and spiritual relations between man and nature. By blurring the lines between the organic and the synthetic, artwork serves as a reminder that technology should not estrange us from our ecological roots but, rather, propel us towards a symbiotic coexistence of civilization and ecosystem. [Source: https://evgenius.art/photosynthesis]

• Evgenius Syn (Evgeniy Chernyshov, Ukraine) is an experimental transdisciplinary contemporary artist, curator, researcher and founder of SYN Art Group. The artist works in the field of science-, light-, sound-, new media-, experimental- and hybrid art. His work explores cultural implications and philosophical dimensions of modern technologies, focusing on questions of nature and evolution of civilization. His task is to expand the imagination of mankind about reality, representing the academic vision of the concept of visual art in the aesthetics of modern times, capturing the process of change of the paradigm and creating an elegant form of transition from classical art to the art of the future. Main message and goal, due to the changes in the paradigm, is to expand mankind’s ideas about itself, space, nature and its phenomena and to be an attentive witness of a change of the eras. The artworks are marked by a special optical idea: it’s sharp and distinctive look of a talented and profound author, who has a individual philosophical vision. All his projects organically combine natural and technologized principles. [Source: https://evgenius.art/about]