VERNISSAGE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION ‘How Close’ BY MACIEJ CIEŚLAK

‘Gardzienice’ Centre for Theatre Practices

and ‘Gardzienice’ Gallery

are honoured to kindly invite

to the vernissage of the photography exhibition:

‘How Close’ by Maciej Ceślak

Vernissage of the photography exhibition “How Close” by Maciej Ceślak

24 March (Saturday), 6.00 pm

Where: Palace and Park Complex, Gardzienice Pierwsze 3, 21-050 Piaski, Poland

What happens when a National Geographic winner meets an artificial intelligence on his path and invites it to join him on a photographic quest?

‘HOW CLOSE’

The exhibition consists of a series of classic studio photographs depicting shots of couples – evidently close, almost symbiotically bonded humans and wild animals. These portraits of the future were created with the help of artificial intelligence. And perhaps, thanks to the discoveries of artificial intelligence, this now still utopian vision will soon become a real scenario.

Will super-intelligence redefine existing knowledge and paradigms describing human-animal relationships?

Looking at the development of civilisation, including humanism, the evolution of the role attributed to humans in the world is clear. Long dethroned from the position of ‘king of all creatures’, man is finding it increasingly difficult to find his place in the animal world.

Only a few decades ago, discussions about the rights and subjectivity of animals, vegetarianism or veganism were rare – today, a general redefinition of our relationship to other sentient beings is a fact. And developments in technology – of food, textiles, transport, etc. – allows us neither to hunt animals, nor to eat them, nor to wear animal clothing, nor to fear attack from them.

Is the technological leap that enables us to empathise enough for a new human-animal relationship?

Will we soon see animals as our equals?

And will animals also reciprocate?

How we want and how we will be able to shape our relationship with nature is one of the key issues today in terms of the future of the Earth and humanity.

Let’s take a closer look at ourselves. What is possible in our relationships?

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