Mark Engelen
A2025ODDITY
Although his original series was back in 2011, with the coming of AI, Mark has prolonged the story of Major Tom. Not only to experiment with the boundless possibilities AI offers but also to continue a series without the limitations Mark has set himself back in ’11.
In this original series the goal was to visualize what might have happened to the illuster astronaut Major Tom (from David Bowie's Space Oddity) in which Mark saw a parallel with his relationship breakup back then. A project kept pure without the means of photoshop or any other form of digital manipulation other than adjusting grading. Everything depicted was actually there. From the space capsule to the leather space suit.
In ’24 Major Tom has returned once more in Mark's life. But now via the means of Artificial Intelligence. His goal; to see what AI can add to or alter in the original works. Searching for surreal, abstract and futuristic landscapes in which Major Tom is a passer by.
With doing so Mark likes to raise the question what parameters make the work still his and at what point has he got no creative influence anymore and determines the algorithm of AI the outcome. And therefore is AI the creative in the next phase of Major Tom’s journey.
Now in ’25, we get to see another glimpse of Major Tom at Rotterdam Photo Festival. The goal this time; what does an audience do with the freedom of creating their own Major Tom or what happens if we give AI complete freedom of re-rendering certain images from the ’24 series without Mark directing the art.
In this original series the goal was to visualize what might have happened to the illuster astronaut Major Tom (from David Bowie's Space Oddity) in which Mark saw a parallel with his relationship breakup back then. A project kept pure without the means of photoshop or any other form of digital manipulation other than adjusting grading. Everything depicted was actually there. From the space capsule to the leather space suit.
In ’24 Major Tom has returned once more in Mark's life. But now via the means of Artificial Intelligence. His goal; to see what AI can add to or alter in the original works. Searching for surreal, abstract and futuristic landscapes in which Major Tom is a passer by.
With doing so Mark likes to raise the question what parameters make the work still his and at what point has he got no creative influence anymore and determines the algorithm of AI the outcome. And therefore is AI the creative in the next phase of Major Tom’s journey.
Now in ’25, we get to see another glimpse of Major Tom at Rotterdam Photo Festival. The goal this time; what does an audience do with the freedom of creating their own Major Tom or what happens if we give AI complete freedom of re-rendering certain images from the ’24 series without Mark directing the art.
