Context
In the early 19th century, the emergence of photography catalyzed a paradigm shift, reshaping perceptions of reality and authenticity. Hand-colored daguerreotypes, often mistaken for oil paintings, exemplify how this revolutionary medium blurred the boundaries between photography, visual representation, and reality itself.
Fast-forward to today, AI-powered text-to-image models are once again pushing the boundaries of visual representation, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between what is real and what is artificial. Yet, unlike the photorealistic ambitions of many AI models, this series seeks to redefine photo-based language by exploring a new kind of visual language. By blending realism and abstraction, it ventures into new visual territories, reimagining how we perceive and create photographic imagery.
For years, I have been photographing intriguing wrapped objects found on streets and public spaces. At first, these accidental sculptures reminded me of intentional artworks by artists like Christo, known for wrapping buildings and landmarks. But unlike carefully planned art, these everyday wrapped objects have their own surprising beauty, blending mystery and curiosity. The most interesting part is guessing what’s hidden inside—using clues from the surroundings (for example, a garden might suggest a barbecue grill, a construction site might hint at building materials). Without context, our imagination becomes even more playful, focusing purely on shapes, edges, and textures as abstract forms.
In this series, I expanded this idea by using an AI model trained on my own photographs—specifically, images of covered objects I found in the streets. I created silhouettes from drawings and collages, then combined these with text prompts to guide the AI in interpreting abstract shapes as familiar objects—like animals or people. For example, an abstract silhouette might transform into something resembling a dog or a mysterious creature. The images created by this process balance the familiar and the mysterious, the clear and the unclear, the realistic and the abstract—an image might first appear to be an animal, but on closer inspection, dissolve into ambiguous textures and patterns.
Ultimately, the series encourages viewers to think about perception, interpretation, and the interesting tension between showing and hiding, inviting viewers to explore and create their own interpretations.
Series
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- ↑ #00158
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- ↑ #00054
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- ↑ #00048
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- ↑ #00106
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- ↑ #00142
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- ↑ #00060
Exhibitions
Art Prolongs Life – Prescriptions from the HUS Art Collection, 16.11.2024 – 5.1.2025, Kunsthalle Helsinki
Art Center Purnu, Purnu FI (2024)
OTOS 2-5 November 2023, Cable Factory (Helsinki)
Galleria Heino 2.9.2023 – 24.9.2023
Photos by Pertti Kärki / Galleria Heino
Notes
The images displayed on this page are only part of the series.
For more images, previews can be found in the book available on my webshop.
