Where does the production of art begin, and where does it end? How many hands and minds, if any, must an idea or manifestation pass through to be considered true? This elusive and, often, esoteric nature of creative practices cunningly warps perceptions of participants to accept exploitation as an ingrained, historic, and necessary function of production.
This cycle of exploitation is living, propelled by power and the friction produced between those who hold it and those who seek it, evolving alongside the world, its culture, and its technology.
It is these evolved technologies which prompt us to wonder whether the application of Artificial Intelligence reflects a positive movement away from human exploitation, or merely reflects its development, a new, twenty-first century iteration.
Its villainy, and strong potential for disruption, having been driven into our shared cultural consciousness- by films like Terminator and Blade Runner- places Artificial Intelligence in a position worth investigating.
Within this poster zine you will find a collection of observations, experiences, and notions – in both visual and written forms- curated by a group of art students. Several aspects of exploitation are covered: ranging from human to machine. Emphasising the industry’s power structures, interviews with artist Hu Logxiang and the chief editor of Zurnal Zine provide insight into forms of create exploitation and its relation to technology; with another set of interviews which, alongside portraits, provide perspectives from the queer community, highlighting marginalisation within these structures.
This work acts as a small cross-section of the complex relationship between people, production, and their tools within the sphere of creative production; aiming to provoke thought and to call attention to a universally ignored reality within the art industry.
