This summer, Fotografiska presents Nature Portals, an innovative exhibition by contemporary artist Markos Kay. Running from June 28th to August 11th, 2024, the project transforms over 200 square metres into a dreamlike landscape filled with fantastical animals and mystical plants. Known for his digital art that explores complex scientific and philosophical themes, Kay uses artificial intelligence to blur the lines between the artificial world and the natural world.
Kay’s creative journey began in 2019, when a neuro-immune disease confined him to his home and pushed him to develop his art through digital mediums. In Nature Portals, he uses AI tools and diffusion models to create mesmerising visuals. His methodology involves creating rough compositions with AI, refining them through thousands of iterations, and integrating them with traditional tools such as Photoshop and After Effects.
The exhibition highlights the intersection of art, technology and science, and demonstrates Kay’s belief that these disciplines are intertwined and mutually influential. His vibrant, immersive works are part of a wider series exploring the implications of a world where nature and technology are intimately intertwined.
Nature Portals features an 11-minute video with music composed by Jesse Solomon Clark, offering visitors a peaceful and immersive journey through the imaginings of a neural network. Lisa Hydén, director of exhibitions at Fotografiska Stockholm, describes the experience as stepping into a storybook full of mysterious animals, vegetation and music, offering a unique and colourful adventure for all ages.
All images by MARKOS KAY
