PROXY is a collection of 639 portraits generated from a pool of 322 pixel grids. Each grid carries the algorithmically evaluated dominant tones from photographic portraits of the United Nations’ global leaders found through a peculiarity of the UN Photo Library. The collection is a class photo featuring member states representatives and leaders of all departments, offices, subsidiaries, funds, programmes, bodies, commissions, agencies and organizations.
In an attempt to refigure figuration, this collection abstracts away all sense of representation. It puts forward curated outputs generated by countless repetitive image interpolations of the initial pixel grids–transmuted surrogates of select political avatars.
This token is one of five portraits of the permanent members of the UN Security Council that were excluded from the generative process. Custom grids were created, and the resulting outputs were manually rendered. Their stretched, imposing format symbolizes the significant power these members hold. These five assets were printed and exhibited before the collection launch, embodying physical features unique to the PROXY collection.
