introduction

In the past, young painters learned the techniques and procedures of painting from the masters, emulating the master's imprint in the making of their works. This happened in the workshops of the great masters. For example, Michelangelo created the Sistine Chapel with the help of many assistants who were able to respect his vision and imitate the brushstrokes as accurately as an algorithm.

In fact, a fundamental part of the project of this exhibition is the development of a software called "VASARI": an artificial intelligence capable of emulating the compositional process that precedes my paintings and that will be able to improve its capabilities. The software is named after Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574), the most important art historian of all time and also a great painter, who lived during the Renaissance period.

During these months of testing, the artificial intelligence has "elaborated" all the necessary procedures and is currently already able, through "machine learning", to create images following certain inputs and indications. The images are stored in a non-relational database, using a deep learning model called Convolution Neural Network (CNN).

The image archive is a reference point for VASARI learning. The AI is able to find images from the web (from Google, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) and then mix and reprocess them, creating the digital sketch for a canvas painting that will be made by me. The images reworked by the software are edited multiple times, through steps and interactions between myself and the AI. The initial search begins with several inputs, such as keywords that VASARI uses to find images on the web, or a selection of images that can be uploaded into the software and then reworked. In this way, two realities are contrasted: the binary electronic matrix, which is programmed and repeats itself ad infinitum, and the human one made of defects, errors and weaknesses.