RELIC

‘Relic’ reveals a new visual language of carpet patternry through a collaboration between artist and machine. Harnessing the power of AI, Mammadov uses GAN algorithms to study the visual similarities of a massive carpet pattern archive collected over seven years of intensive research. Then, using a specifically designed coding structure, the relationship between artist and machine produces unique yet familiar patterns. Deliberately relinquishing part of his authority over the final product, Mammadov is questioning cultural appropriation and dissolution of deep-rooted cultural traditions in a globalized world. Yet he is also reclaiming ownership of them within a contemporary context and rewriting their position as relics of the past.