Brendan Dawes's Infinite Generative Film Debuts at Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition
Brendan Dawes, a designer and artist from the UK, has developed Nothing Can Ever Be The Same, a generative film that spans 168 hours and is in constant flux. This work was commissioned for the 2023 Biennale Musica in Venice and employs custom technology originally created for the Academy Award-nominated documentary Eno. Displayed at York Art Gallery as part of the Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition, the film will be shown continuously for five months, concluding on 25 January 2025. Dawes's art delves into the intersection of data, technology, and common objects through generative systems, balancing control with randomness. He reflects on how the film addresses reduced attention spans, inviting prolonged viewer interaction, and aims to thoughtfully engage with AI and emerging technologies in his work.
Key facts
- Brendan Dawes created Nothing Can Ever Be The Same, a 168-hour real-time generative film.
- The film was commissioned for Biennale Musica 2023 in Venice.
- It uses bespoke generative technology developed for the documentary Eno.
- The piece is exhibited at York Art Gallery as part of the Aesthetica Art Prize until 25 January 2025.
- Dawes was inspired by his first computer, a Sinclair ZX81 with 1KB of memory.
- He views generative art as operating on the threshold of control and chance.
- The film is designed to be infinite, running non-stop for the duration of the exhibition.
- Dawes aims to explore AI and new technologies thoughtfully in his artistic practice.
Entities
Artists
- Brendan Dawes
- Brian Eno
- Frank Sinatra
- Julie London
- Olivia Laing
- David Hajdu
- Gary Hustwit
- Emma Jacob
Institutions
- Aesthetica Magazine
- Aesthetica Art Prize
- York Art Gallery
- Biennale Musica
- Sundance Film Festival
- Academy Awards
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- York
- United Kingdom