Between representation and performativity
an exploration of the technical image from the Renaissance to Artificial Intelligence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33871/19805071.2026.34.1.11739Keywords:
Technical images, Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, Photography, Renaissance perspectiveAbstract
In which sense is it possible to claim that there is a real difference between the function performed by the painting, the photograph, and the AI-generated art? In this article, we propose to analyze the construction of images by artificial intelligence in the light of the genesis of what has come to be called “technical images”. This article explores ruptures and continuities between the Renaissance image, the modern photography, and the contemporary “generative” image. We show, first, that there is a connection linking the ideals of objectivity and anthropocentrism of Renaissance perspective, the pursuit of an objective and automatic mirroring of the world in photographic representation, and the prevalence of figurativism and naturalism in the data-driven, computational modeling of artificial intelligence. We then explore the limits of this supposedly purely representational perspective, highlighting deviations and alternative approaches to image production with artificial intelligence, focusing on the possibilities that arise from recognizing the performative aspect of images. We conclude by presenting artworks in which the performativity of the generative image is explored, attesting to the creative potential of a particular use of artificial intelligence in the arts.
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