Mat Collishaw on Beauty, Violence, and AI in Art

Mat Collishaw, a Young British Artist who debuted in Damien Hirst's 1988 Freeze exhibition, reflects on his career spanning over 30 years. His work, blending photography, video art, optical illusions, and kinetic sculpture, explores psychology, history, sociology, and science. Collishaw's solo exhibition 'Alluvion' at M77 Gallery in Milan, curated by Danilo Eccher, showcases pieces like 'All Things Fall,' which examines historical cycles of cruelty. He discusses his fascination with beauty's manipulative potential, citing flowers that deceive insects as a parallel to AI's blind image generation. Collishaw also addresses violence in art, referencing Steven Pinker's theory of survival instinct. His creative process involves extensive reading, drawing, and material testing, often outsourcing fabrication for 3D printing. The interview includes curator Danilo Eccher, who has collaborated with Collishaw since 1999, describing his work as fairy-tale-like, where truth and appearance blur.