Urban Oracle and Abstract Urbanism

On Friday 1 April, Ultravioletto opens its studio to present its two latest works to the public: Urban Oracle and Abstract Urbanism, on display until 15 May 2022.

To mark the opening of the studio, Ultravioletto is organising and hosting “ABC NFT. Crypto, to who? A meeting to understand NFTs’. The talk is designed as a reflection on the technological and cultural developments and changes that NFTs have brought about in the way art is understood, created and collected.

The event will be chaired by Valentino Catricalà, scholar, curator and contemporary art critic, and guests Paulina Bebecka (founding director postmaster gallery), Andrea Daniele Signorelli (freelance journalist), Pierangelo Soldavini (journalist and economics expert for Il Sole 24 Ore), and Bruno Capezzuoli (creative director Ultravioletto).

The main aim of the meeting is to provide a theoretical and practical guide to discover both the opportunities and limitations of a technology that is as revolutionary as it is controversial, and which is radically destructuring the world of art and the role of certain professional figures linked to culture. From technical basics, how artists are using blockchain to the importance of communication and the supposed existence of a ‘Crypto’ aesthetic, the panel discussion will provide a broad, yet accurate overview of the current state of the NFT scene.

In this context, the two works Urban Oracle and Abstract Urbanism by Ultravioletto are being exhibited, exploring the creative possibilities offered by digital technology.

Urban Oracle is an installation in which an Artificial Intelligence, trained by Ultraviolet, converses with the outside world through texts formed by luminous structures. The visitor is lit up by the ghostly presence of words whose origin is generated by the machine’s digital synapses. Inspired by the ancient figure of the oracle, the work offers revelatory signs to those who ask for advice and comfort.

The second project on display is the new series Abstract Urbanism, consisting of maps generated by a genetic algorithm which, following instructions set out by Ultravioletto, open the door to new interpretations of urban planning.

In addition to the prints, visitors can also see a machine that traces lines, with the precision of an amanuensis, on a white sheet of paper whose direction, length and position are suggested by the algorithm. The presence of the machine in the exhibition hall reveals the performative nature of “Abstract Urbanism” – it is not the print or the NFT connected to it that serves as the final product of the artistic operation, but the process behind them. During the evening, Fabio Sestili (Ipologica ) will be in charge of sound and atmosphere.

(from the press release)