ORKHAN MAMMADOV: RELIC Carpet Data Printing A

‘Relic’ reveals a new visual language of carpet patternry through a collaboration between artist and machine. Harnessing the power of AI, Mammadov uses GAN algorithms to study the visual similarities of a massive carpet pattern archive collected over seven years of intensive research. Then, using a specifically designed coding structure, the relationship between artist and machine produces unique yet familiar patterns. Deliberately relinquishing part of his authority over the final product, Mammadov is questioning cultural appropriation and dissolution of deep-rooted cultural traditions in a globalized world. Yet he is also reclaiming ownership of them within a contemporary context and rewriting their position as relics of the past.

ARTIST BIO:

Orkhan Mammadov (b. 1990, Ganja, Azerbaijan) is a pioneering multidisciplinary new media artist who fuses an extensive knowledge in mathematics and machine learning with a deep-rooted fascination with the cultural heritage of the Middle East. He uses geometric patterns and carpet illustrations as datasets to produce artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-driven sculptures and paintings. His practice embraces the rapid technological advancements of the modern age and places the rich artistic and cultural heritage of the Middle East in a new context.

Mammadov represented his country at the Venice Biennale in 2019. He has exhibited at several prominent biennales, festivals, and art fairs all over the world including Art Dubai, UAE (2022), Art Basel Miami, USA (2021), Moscow International Contemporary Art Biennale, Russia (2019), Venice Biennale de Arte, Italy (2019), Nasimi Festival, Baku, Azerbaijan (2018), Gamma Festival, St Petersburg, Russia (2018), IF Istanbul International Film Festival, Turkey (2017), ACCU Festival, Prague, Czech Republic (2017), Dave Festival in Dresden, Germany (2017).