We congratulate Debora Hirsch for winning the 2023 VAR Digital Art Award for her digital art PLANTALIA. The work was selected by Rebecca Pedrazzi, an art journalist and art historian. The VAR Digital Art Award is presented by VAR Group, an Italian Information and Communications Technology company.
"PLANTALIA faces problems related to endangered plant species. The digital work features four modules, each depicting a selection of at-risk plants from different locations: from Tuscany to Florida (US), Asia to Africa and beyond. This piece uses acrylic paint, coding, artificial intelligence and animation. The end result is a constantly transforming animation video, with fluid transitions from image to image, aimed at highlighting the multiple cases and drawing attention to the loss of biodiversity within our ecosystem. Following blockchain technology protocols that define a space protected from destruction, manipulation and time passage, the artist decided to bring back and preserve plants near-extinct in the domain of artificial intelligence and physical painting. These endangered species are immortalized on the blockchain, granting them an eternal virtual existence and serving as symbolic memories of what we’ve lost and what we risk losing. This animation video will also be registered on the blockchain, serving as a certificate of authenticity. Representation is intentionally abundant and is often bounded by a frame-like solid structure. Plants, frames, landscapes, architectural details and monolithic birds converge to emphasize the intricate interconnections that are inherent in ecosystems, simultaneously evoking the delicate balance and transparency of nature."
"PLANTALIA faces problems related to endangered plant species. The digital work features four modules, each depicting a selection of at-risk plants from different locations: from Tuscany to Florida (US), Asia to Africa and beyond. This piece uses acrylic paint, coding, artificial intelligence and animation. The end result is a constantly transforming animation video, with fluid transitions from image to image, aimed at highlighting the multiple cases and drawing attention to the loss of biodiversity within our ecosystem. Following blockchain technology protocols that define a space protected from destruction, manipulation and time passage, the artist decided to bring back and preserve plants near-extinct in the domain of artificial intelligence and physical painting. These endangered species are immortalized on the blockchain, granting them an eternal virtual existence and serving as symbolic memories of what we’ve lost and what we risk losing. This animation video will also be registered on the blockchain, serving as a certificate of authenticity. Representation is intentionally abundant and is often bounded by a frame-like solid structure. Plants, frames, landscapes, architectural details and monolithic birds converge to emphasize the intricate interconnections that are inherent in ecosystems, simultaneously evoking the delicate balance and transparency of nature."
September 14, 2023
