Dionysus
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Abstract
Dionysus is part of “Visual Theogonies”, a series of prints coded in Ruby which have no external index, i.e. are the result of pure random mathematical manipulation of a given set of data contained within the computer memory. The term “Theogonie” is borrowed from a poem written by the Greek Hesiod. The poem regards the birth of the gods, representing a stage of Greek thought in which there were no links between cause and effect, where the gods existed by and for themselves.
The software developed by Poltronieri creates images formed from the collision of the infinite possibilities of chance against the reality of the programming algorithm. The principle that rules these algorithms has its foundations on Hesiod’s poem, whose sentences were injected into the code, as a guide to map computer memory positions. Every memory position selected is translated into shapes and colours by algorithmic operations.
Each image, like the artwork Dionysus, is generated algorithmically, following a series of non-linear procedures. There are instructions to be followed, but their execution order is decided by chance and, in this case, the order of the factors does alter the product. One could argue that is not feasible to produce chance based decisions using a computer, as it would be against the very nature of this kind of apparatus. However, computers are products of culture and therefore are also immersed in the unpredictable iconic universe named 'firstness' by the philosopher Charles S. Peirce.
Originally coded in Ruby on a Linux Box
Glicée Print - 90cm X 60 cm