live code + 4 polyptych cyanotypes 70x70cm

PLACE OF RETURN / XVIII NEW TECHNOLOGIES
group exhibition at Gallery of Contemporary Art Pančevo
December 25, 2024 – January 20, 2025
curated by Milica Lapčević

The Anatomy of Sensitivity is the second part of the ongoing “anatomies” generative art series. All are loosely based on the same algorithm that gradually diverges from the initial set of instructions. The focus of each part in the series is on revealing analogies between human conditions and code development.

The first part, The Anatomy of Fracture was about communication-miscommunication, language imperfections, disruptions of verbal precision, unpredictable visual incidents originating from loose interpretations of spoken language, and embedded ambiguity in the code.  

Now, The Anatomy of Sensitivity questions personal sensitivity-insensitivity levels, the ability to perceive and process information from the environment, as well as surprising loss of reaction and overreaction to surroundings and experiences. Are we becoming more or less sensitive? Can sensitivity be controlled? I turned to the processes that allow me to measure, regulate, and identify sensitivity levels.

Code

For the code outputs, I’m relying on environmental/meteorological data, mostly sun radiation data, to which humans are objectively sensitive. All shapes are generated according to historical data sourced from open-meteo.com in the period from the beginning of 1940 up to the last day of 2024 for the approximate geolocation of my home city (44.82N 20.45E).

Among all the data, where the sunshine duration was more than zero, random 3 to 6 rows in sequence are chosen to generate bands. Cloud coverage impacts if the bands are striped or chaotic. The number of stripes in the bends depends on the speed of the wind.  The size of bands is determined by shortwave solar radiation GHI, whereas direct solar radiation specifies the bands’ vertical position. The band start position angle is diffuse solar radiation DHI, and the length of the bands is direct normal irradiance DNI.  The remainder of the angles along the bands depends on global tilted radiation GTI, terrestrial solar radiation, shortwave solar radiation GHI (instant), direct solar radiation (instant), diffuse solar radiation DHI (instant), direct normal irradiance DNI (instant), global tilted radiation GTI and terrestrial solar radiation (instant). To achieve visually appealing compositions, all chosen values are normalized before being used.

In the exhibition live code is executed for random date/time every few minutes. Custom frame hosts Raspberry PI with 4” LCD screen.

Cyanotypes

The physical component of this work relies on the cyanotype print process, one of the earliest photo-printing techniques that employ a mix of iron compounds, sensitive to the UVA part of the sunlight spectrum. Through the process of developing cyanotypes, a second level of randomness is introduced through varying formula mixes, exposure times, layer distances and angles, placements of masks, etc.

Code was split into layers – bands, numbers and grids. That allowed me to add random errors and blurs with offset placements. Prints are initially made on rice paper (35x35cm) later mounted on watercolor paper in groups of 4 from the same year (1943, 1984, 2009 & 2018).