Reinterpretation of etching
Matthew Attard and Galeria Michela Rizzo
Maltese artists at the 60th Venice Biennale Matthew Attard Through the prism of AI-driven technology, we address our nation's maritime heritage, along with concepts of faith and progress. His work focuses on images of ships graffitied by sailors on the stone facades of Maltese chapels from the 16th century to his 19th century, one of his is pictured below.
Boat graffiti in the Chapel of the Visitation of Our Lady in Weed Kilda, Malta
Elise Tonna
Attard, pictured below, used his line of sight to follow notches in the ship's hull, rigging, and billowing sails, a process facilitated by line-of-sight trackers and generative algorithms. “This line of sight was converted by technology into data points, which were further interpreted to produce lines and drawings,” he says.
A database of digital images generated from the data points captured the sculpture from different perspectives, from which works of art such as 3D scans and video works were created.
Matthew Attard wearing an eye tracking device.
Elise Tonna
Marine graffiti resonates with cultures where the relationship with the sea has been and continues to be important, and ships remain a metaphor for hope and survival. Similarly, the Maltese chapels have long been sanctuaries. Attard said he wanted to explore “parallels to the current 'blind faith' in digital technology.”
A reinterpretation of his etching is the impression of a ghostly skeleton, as shown in the main image. “Some would argue that even the most traditional mediums, such as pencil or charcoal, can be considered a form of drawing technique,” he points out. His exhibition, commissioned by the Malta Arts Council, will run at the Malta Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in Italy until 24 November.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
