"Safe Zone" has launched at Art Space Sydney

Christopher Kulendran Thomas has launched his first solo exhibition titled “Safe Zone”. After going to Brussels and Liverpool, “Safe Zone” is now at the Artspace Gallery in Sydney.

The exhibit uses artificial intelligence, painting, and video to explore the multifaceted histories of Western individualism and imperialism. For Thomas, these themes are of personal value. As a Tamil person from Sri Lanka, he has experienced ethically targeted violence, conflict, and the effects of colonisation. He also immigrated to England in his formative years, which gave him a perspective on the complex impacts of Western imperialism.

Thomas also challenges the impacts of mediatization on our current world. Through video and painting, he uses long-standing forms of “soft power”. Historically, these media forms have shaped culture and how we view the world. He also introduced a new form of media, artificial intelligence (AI). The use of AI is controversial in the art world. However, according to “Safe Zone” curator Kate Dyer, art has always been about embracing new mediums. By incorporating new and traditional forms of communication, he interrogates how new media will influence our perspectives.

The central work in “Safe Zone” is “Peace Core Sphere”, an infinitely long video piece produced in collaboration with Annika Kuhlaman. The work includes American TV footage from moments before the 9/11 attacks. The work uses an AI algorithm to remix the clips, making forever unique versions of the footage. Along with this work, you can see 12 paintings generated by a neural network trained on prominent Sri Lankan artists. These artists were inspired by British modernism, brought to Sri Lanka by settlers.

You can see “Safe Zone” at Artspace in Woolloomooloo from now until February.

There is also a range of public programs like talks, tours, reading groups, and a closing party. Entry is free.

Monday Daily host Eva Greifeneder spoke with “Safe Zone’s” curator Katie Dyer.