Eastern Promises - Bazaars and Street Scenes

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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Street scenes and bazaars were popular themes in Orientalist art, as they offered a glimpse into the bustling and colorful everyday life of the East. In these works, the street scenes and bazaars were often depicted as exotic and picturesque, with vibrant colors, bustling crowds, and intricate architecture

In many Orientalist paintings, the street scenes and bazaars were used to convey a sense of the East as a place of sensory overload, with the crowded streets and vibrant markets contrasting with the quiet and ordered spaces of the West. This representation served to reinforce the idea of the East as a place of chaos, in contrast to the West's depiction of itself as a place of order and rationality

At the same time, these street scenes and bazaars were also often depicted as dangerous, with hidden threats lurking in the shadows and behind closed doors. This served to reinforce the idea of the East as a place of danger and unpredictability, further emphasizing the power dynamic between the West and the East

It's worth noting that these representations of street scenes and bazaars were often highly romanticized and idealized, and were not necessarily reflective of the true nature of life in the East. However, they have had a lasting impact on Western perceptions of the East, and continue to influence popular culture and media representation of the region to this day