The Eastern Promises: Preserving Orientalist Painting Through Data Science invites us to consider the role of technology in art and the ways in which it can be utilised to engage in new forms of artistic expression. Art as a meta-discipline is “an umbrella encompassing history, philosophy, nature and science.” The AI-powered paintings presented by Mammadov offer a fresh and innovative take on a timeless artistic tradition, provide a glimpse into the future of art-making in the digital age, and raise crucial questions about polarisation, redefining our rapidly developing world as well as exploring and preserving the social and cultural heritage of humanity, with its own intricacies, in a way that has yet to be decoded by future generations.
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In Orientalist art, the architecture of the East was often depicted as grand and elaborate, with images of towering minarets, ornate mosaics, and intricate carvings. These images were used to evoke a sense of the East as a place of wealth, power, and luxury, in contrast to the West's depiction of itself as a place of simplicity and practicality.
Monuments such as ancient ruins, historic cities, and monumental structures such as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal in India, were often depicted in Orientalist art as symbols of the exotic and mysterious character of the East.
These depictions of cultural monuments in Orientalist art were often based on Western preconceptions and stereotypes, and often served to reinforce the power dynamic between the West and the East. In Orientalist art, cultural monuments were often depicted as grand and imposing, with images of massive stone structures and intricate carvings, evoking a sense of the East as a place of ancient wisdom and rich cultural heritage.
At the same time, these depictions of cultural monuments were also often highly idealized and romanticized, with images of pristine ruins, lush gardens, and glittering palaces. These images reflected the Western fascination with the East as a place of beauty and enchantment, in contrast to the West's representation of itself as a place of reason and order.
