22 disruptions, exposing the gap between the human knowledge system - based on a set of experiences, instincts, and the collective unconscious - and the non-human, algorithm-based perception of artificial intelligence. The dialogue between the two artists themselves also exposes gaps in their artistic syntax that amplify this body of work, charging it with an additional layer of meaning. The complexity of their practice is connected to the unique project of German artist, Kurt Schwitters, titled Merzbau (1933 onwards). Schwitters conceived and created the Merzbau between the two World Wars (Perhaps the parallel to the crisis we are currently experiencing in Israel is not coincidental). Merzbau was a monumental assemblage work that spread across two floors of the artist's house in Hanover, Germany, created over many years. In it, slabs of wood, pieces of cardboard, fabric, furniture, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other objects were used as the raw materials: they were cut, truncated, and reassembled into different forms, built into corners, columns, walls, and niches with varying and diverse themes, both personal and universal. This created a crowded and overflowing dystopian environment that continued to grow and develop, yet it was never fully realized. The house was bombed in an air raid during World War II (1943), resulting in the loss of this monumental piece, with only photographic documentation remaining that, years later, allowed for its meticulous reconstruction. The exhibition Generative Crafts presents the work of Shirley Wegner and Tal Nisim who, through dialogue with photography, craftsmanship, and artificial intelligence knead the architectural materials of the Open University gallery campus to build a new space. In joint orchestration, they manage to blur boundaries between reality and fiction, they charge the space with moments of mysterious occurrences, and explore the complex relationship between human systems of knowledge and the algorithmic system. Their dialogue with artificial intelligence serves as a tool for deconstructing the gaze and displacing the gallery space, emphasizing technology's potential not only as a subject but also as means for a critical investigation.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MjAwOQ==