Imaginary Landscapes – Timișoara

v1.0 by: Michael Takeo Magruder, 2021

An installation depicting alternate visions of Timișoara computationally generated with AI from historic maps and current satellite imagery of the city.

Installation Documentation:

About the Artwork:

Imaginary Landscapes – Timișoara is a modular installation depicting alternate, fantastical renditions of the city and its surrounding countryside that have been produced using a combination of leading-edge neural network technologies and traditional digital image processing techniques. The work and its various visual components have been exclusively generated from a pair of historic 19th-century maps and high-resolution satellite imagery of the current location. The result combines past and present visions of the city into an endless series of unique, hybrid iterations made possible through a recursive dialogue between AI-machine automation and artist-human intention.

Source Materials – Historical Maps and Satellite Data:

'Plan der Königliche Freistadt und Festung Temesvár' drawn by Beilage & lithograph by Walzel, Enģel & Mandello Pest
in Johann N Preyer, Monographie der königlichen Freistadt Temesvár … Mit drei Plänen. Temesvár, 1853. 10215.g.13
www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/11040555435

'Situations-Plan … in der Festung Temesvár' drawn by Beilage & lithograph by J G Woïgel
in Johann N Preyer, Monographie der königlichen Freistadt Temesvár … Mit drei Plänen. Temesvár, 1853. 10215.g.13
www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/11042199394

Timișoara, Romania (45.76, 21.23)
Zoom Earth, captured on 02/09/2021
www.zoom.earth/#view=45.76,21.23,16z/

Digital Documentation:

In Dialogue with:

Diana Marincu (curator), Camil Mihăescu (Facultatea de Arte și Design, Univ de Vest Timișoara), and Dana Sarmeș (Asociatia Culturala Contrasens)

With Thanks to:

Glad Carpencu-Pop and Georgia Țidorescu [ co-curation & production ] . Andrei Arion, Alexandra Buzatu, Andra Dascălu, Daniel Gagiu, Teodor Papadopol, and Maxim Zaghidullin [ installation production ] . Prima Photo Studio [ fine art framing services ] . AZERO [ industrial digital printing services ]

Supported by:

Imaginary Landscapes – Timișoara was commissioned and produced by Asociatia Culturala Contrasens in partnership with the Facultatea de Arte și Design, Universitatea de Vest Timișoara for the exhibtion, Orașe Invizibile / Tărâmuri Imaginare (Invisible Cities / Imaginary Lands), 15 October - 15 November 2021. The project was made possible with funds from the Administrația Fondului Cultural Național (Romania) and the City of Timișoara.

Artwork Requirements:

Modular analogue-digital installation comprised of six elements:
1) Imaginary Landscapes – Timișoara (progression 1e0, 1e3, 1e6, 1e9), 4 framed archival digital monoprints, signed/numbered/stamped, 80×80cm (each).
2) Imaginary Landscapes – Timișoara (enlarged 1e0), industrial digital print on architectural construction, 400×400×50cm.
3) Imaginary Landscapes – Timișoara (emergence 1e0), real-time digital projection (Flash executable), dimensions variable, infinite duration.
4) Imaginary Landscapes – Timișoara (iterations 1e0-1e2), real-time digital projection (Flash executable), dimensions variable, infinite duration.
5) Imaginary Landscapes – Timișoara (soundscape), real-time stereo audio (Flash executable), infinite duration.
6) Imaginary Landscapes – Timișoara (source data), industrial digital prints on multi-element wall display, 380×94cm.

Online Resources:

© TAKEO 2021