Points of Contact 

Description

In the new work of Somari, known for her experiments on the borderline of reality and technology, the canvas space turns into a portal where the viewer becomes a participant in a fantastic dialogue.

Her initial practice of graffiti and murals evolved into the creation of an alternative universe mythology, where retro aesthetics are combined with futuristic subjects. This work continues to tell the stories of this world, which is a recurring theme for the artist. 

The plot

The central figure of the work is a mechanism that resembles an archaic computing device with two monitors, a smart AI assistant. Next to it is a biomechanical plant with metal parts that transmits its signals through electrical impulses. According to the legend, this flower had to grow metal parts and learn to communicate through electronic impulses long ago when it was forced to survive the onslaught of technogenic civilisation. The whole work is a dialogue between the residents of the Somari world, which the viewer can control with the help of sensors that are embedded in the image and respond to touch.

Exploring the relationship between the organic and mechanical worlds, Somari's work continues the discussion of human interaction with machines and nature. The biomechanical flower, which can ‘speak’ through electrical impulses, serves as a poignant symbol of the intersection of the natural and the synthetic, raising critical questions about environmental impacts and the role of technology in preserving or destroying the natural world.

Interactivity makes this work both a tactile and a technological experience, transporting the viewer to a new dimension where the boundaries between physical and digital, living and artificial are blurred. Somari offers not just observation, but a deep immersion into its alternative universe, where touch can open a new facet of reality that is not subject to the laws of physics we are used to.

Technical part

The work uses a microcontroller, which is programmed so that the sensors can be used to switch on and off the light and sound. All the electronics are mounted on the back of the canvas. The voices of the main characters are generated using AI.