In the emerging light of AI-generated imagery, the story of Italian digital artist Marisa Prete emerges. She is a trained philosopher who works in public administration by day and dedicates her free time to the relentless exploration of the relationship between image and viewer.
With her academic background in philosophy and her passionate dedication to image theory and visual culture, Marisa has embarked on a remarkable journey: from the theoretical approach to images to the practical application of generative artificial intelligence models to create them.
The Philosopher Behind the AI Lens
Marisa speaks of a deep fascination with the dynamics between word and image, a passion that runs through her entire artistic and academic career. Her work with text-to-image models (TTI) is less an artistic endeavor than a continuation of her lifelong examination of this relationship. This research has culminated in the creation of the “Crazy Museum,” a series on Instagram realized through the use of DALL-E 3. In this series, visitors interact with paintings and sculptures in a museum that has no physical location, blurring the boundaries between viewer and image, between reality and fiction. Zooming out while viewing her images would lead to a new work.
The Mirror of Society
Marisa’s artistic practice, although she does not primarily see herself as an artist, sheds significant light on the epochal change of our time, marked by the presence of artificial intelligence. Her motivation is not self-promotion or commercial success but a deep conviction that understanding these technologies is indispensable. Therefore, she describes her work and the exhibition of the “Crazy Museum” as a contribution to the collective understanding and critical engagement with AI.
It’s the Relationship That Defines Us
Marisa’s investigation goes far beyond the aesthetic. She views images not as passive objects but as active participants in a sensorially complex dialogue with their viewers. This dynamic interplay comes to life in her “Crazy Museum,” where images and viewers exist in a shared space that constantly questions and redefines what is considered sacred and isolated.
No Concrete Plans for the Future, but Many Possibilities
While Marisa has not outlined specific goals for her artistic career, her work remains a living testament to the possibilities that open up at the intersection of technology, art, and philosophy. Her commitment to sharing and understanding this intersection is reflected in every facet of her work, a constant pursuit of knowledge that she shares on Instagram with us and anyone in the world interested.
I stumbled upon Marisa’s images on Instagram by chance. When I wrote to her asking for an interview, I encountered a rather modest thinker and creator, whose works challenge us to reconsider the relationships between us and the images that populate our world, questioning their boundaries.
Marisa’s pursuit of gaining a deeper understanding of the dynamics that connect art and its audience through AI art reminds us that deeper truths about us, our existence, and our future can be found in our reflections and interactions.
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