The Gothic Herbarium

My name is Katja Marciniec, and I am a cultural scientist. Since my youth, I have been engaged in creative processes, including drawing and photography, as well as experimental attempts with Super 8 and video. My interest lies in exploring different ways of communication, primarily through visual media. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the cultural realm influences how art is created and perceived. As a dynamic interface between technology and human creativity, it extends the boundaries of artistic creation by incorporating algorithms and machine learning into a new level of image design. For me, this has created an inspiring space—a new dimension where it is possible to create and explore new realities. In my works, I intertwine personal thoughts and emotions to give them a visual form, connecting with the world in this way. In addition to elements of the dreamlike and fantastically absurd, I draw on contemporary, historical, and literary references in my AI works. Alongside classical literary topoi and pop-cultural allusions, I incorporate current themes such as climate change and environmental protection, which I transform into new visual forms through defamiliarization. This way, it is possible to combine the incompatible, breathe life into inanimate objects, liquefy the material, and deconstruct and reshape forms. In my work, I often prefer the method of serial variation alongside individual images. I believe that AI-based art is more than just a tool for generating aesthetically pleasing images. The collaboration between humans and machines not only provides new tools and techniques but also enables the discovery of new means of expression to expand creative processes. It is important that AI art is created with transparency and respect for copyright laws.