Site Seeing -
Exhibition 2024
On show till mid Dec 2024
‘Algorithmic Reinterpretation: image 12’ Louvre Museum.​​
after Frank Thirion’s 2022 photograph: ‘The subject is Art:image 12’
after Leonardo da Vinci, portrait of Lisa Gherardini, Wife of Francesco del Giocondo, known as the Mona Lisa.
​
​
For those who have already journeyed through Algorithmic Reinterpretation: After AI, this page offers a deeper dive into the subtle complexities of the exhibition. In this intimate gallery, six carefully curated images invite you to pause and reflect—not just on the art before you, but on the broader conversations these works provoke.
In Frank Thirion’s ongoing project, The Subject is Art, the composition of each photograph reveals layers of meaning: the presence of gallery visitors, the artwork they contemplate, the interplay of colors, postures, and gestures. These are not passive spectators; they are intrinsic elements of the artwork itself. From the vibrant hues of modern clothing to the quiet rest of the reclining figure in Image 09, where Henry Moore’s 1951 Reclining Figure echoes the man at rest, every detail contributes to a dialogue about art, time, and the human experience of viewing.
But here, the integration of artificial intelligence adds another dimension—an entirely new subject enters the frame. How does AI reinterpret these scenes, and what does that tell us about the evolving role of technology in art? As the viewer, you are invited to question not just the art on display but the very process by which these works come into being. What happens when the subject of art is both human and machine? When technology doesn't just replicate but reimagines, reframes, and offers us new ways of seeing?
With a subtle scan of the unobtrusive QR codes, a new layer of understanding awaits. Each code unlocks a glimpse into the works of the old masters and Thirion’s original photographs. These codes are your key to unlocking the art historical context that AI has taken as its starting point, reworking them into pieces that challenge our assumptions about originality and artistic merit.
This page is not about spectacle but reflection. It is for those who wish to linger longer, to unpack the nuances of Thirion’s creative process, and to explore the layered meanings that arise when the human eye meets AI’s vision.
​
‘Algorithmic Reinterpretation: image 01’
​
after Frank Thirion’s 2017 photograph: ‘The subject is Art: image 01’
after Leonardo da Vinci’s 1501 painting: ’Madonna of the Yarnwinder’
​
National Gallery of Scotland.
‘Algorithmic Reinterpretation: image 02’
​
after Frank Thirion’s 2017 photograph: ‘The subject is Art: image 02’
after Franconian 1515 painting: ‘The Lamentation of Christ with a Group of Donors’.
​after Lucas Cranach1528 painting: ‘An Allegory of Melancholy’
​
National Gallery of Scotland.
‘Algorithmic Reinterpretation: image 04’
​
after Frank Thirion’s 2017 photograph: ‘The subject is Art: image 04’
​after Joseph Turner 1815 painting: ‘Crossing Brook’
​after Joseph Turner 1806 painting: ‘Abingdon’
Tate Art Gallery.
‘Algorithmic Reinterpretation: image 09’
after Frank Thirion’s 2017 photograph: ‘The subject is Art: image 09’
after Henry Spencer Moore 1951 sculpture: ‘Reclining Figure’
Tate Art Gallery.
‘Algorithmic Reinterpretation: image 03’
​
after Frank Thirion’s 2023 photograph: ‘The subject is Art: image 03’
​after Bryan Westwood 1991 painting: ‘James Oswald Fairfax AC’
​after Sir Peter Paul Rubens 1622 painting: ‘Constantius appoints Constantine as his successor’.
​after Jacob van Ruisdael 1655-1660 painting: ‘Wooded hillside with a view of Bentheim Castle’.
​after Sir William Dargie CBE 1960 painting: ‘Study for a portrait of Dame Merlin Myer DRE’.
​
National Portrait Gallery, Australia.