The "How close" project is a series of portraits of symbiotically connected pairs of people and animals. These photographs of the future were created using artificial intelligence. They present a vision that is still utopian, although perhaps soon artificial intelligence will completely redefine the current knowledge and paradigms describing the relationship between man and nature.
author: Maciej Cieślak
author: Maciej Cieślak The starting point of the project was a reflection on the potential of scientific progress and the role of artificial intelligence capable of generating new solutions that challenge the anthropocentric vision of the world.
Redirecting our historical narrative towards Homo Sapiens makes no more (or less) sense than directing it towards any other contemporary species (…) if elephants were writing history, they might portray tapirs, shrew-eaters, myrungs and Sunda proboscis monkeys as timid, beginner, uncertain species. steps on the main road to the evolution of the proboscis that never – for some reason – reached their destination; so close and yet so far.
Richard Dawkins & Yan Wong "The Ancestor's Tale"
In the light of today's research, it is difficult to maintain the narrative about the primacy of people in the world. It has already been confirmed that our genomes are largely identical to the genetic codes of many other species - we share as many as 99% of our genes with chimpanzees. A human can live with an implanted pig heart or kidney (and probably vice versa). Monkeys and ravens create and use tools, have self-control and a sense of time. We also already know that animals, including fish and snakes, feel emotions and pain just like us.
Maybe soon we will be able to directly ask animals about our common future - the use of artificial intelligence has already accelerated work on projects to learn animal languages, including: sperm whale.
So let's take a closer look at ourselves now. What is possible in the shared world of animals and humans?
Place: B&B Photography Gallery
street 1 Maja 12. Bielsko-Biała
Vernissage and meeting with the author on Friday, May 10, 2024 at 6 p.m
Organizer: Center of Photography Foundation and B&B Photography Gallery, curator of the Gallery - Inez Baturo
About the author:
Maciej Cieślak – passionate photographer, nuclear physicist by education, financier by profession. Member of the Association of Polish Art Photographers. For him, photography is a way to discover the world and tell stories. The most common subject of his works is man, his experiences and relationships with the environment. But he is also fascinated by nature, especially in the context of the relationship between people and nature. He works in the field of reportage and portrait photography.
His photographic projects have been exhibited at several individual exhibitions. He is a winner of the National Geographic Polska 2010 photography competition (first prize in the People category) and the International Photography Awards IPA 2017 and 2018. He is also the author of photos for the book "Ach, smell! A guide to the fantastic world of fragrances” (Buchmann, Warsaw 2023). Lives and works in Warsaw.
Website: maciejcieslak.com
Instagram: maciej_cieslak_
