Lumen Prize Anniversary Auction 2024 | An Auction Curated by Auronda Scalera & Alfredo Cramerotti x Lumen Prize
Lumen Prize Anniversary Auction 2024 | An Auction Curated by Auronda Scalera & Alfredo Cramerotti x Lumen Prize
Béatrice Lartigue
The Big Smoke
No reserve
Lot Closed
October 16, 06:07 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Béatrice Lartigue
The Big Smoke
Machine Learning
Executed in 2023, this work is unique and includes the NFT and the 19 corresponding prints.
Digital:
Token ID: 1
Smart Contract: 0x8b071f8be247172231bf6e61a19f5b31c2503941
Token Standard: ERC-721
Blockchain: Ethereum
Physical:
signed on verso and authenticated with a T.R.A.C.E. (Tokenized Records for Artifact Certification and Evolution) chip.
Hahnemühle, Photo Rag, 308 gr/m2
each print is 9.5 by 9.5 in.
each print is 24 by 24 cm.
Minted by 0x25f9B45cE9A4F7E55841Fb521b9FBAE7118A0Fe9 (Beatrice Lartigue Wallet) - Sept 17, 2024 11:06 AM
Béatrice Lartigue, a French visual artist based in Toulouse, is a co-founder of the interdisciplinary collective Lab212. With a career spanning over 15 years, Lartigue's work has been positioned at the intersection of art, science, and technology. Her artistic practice explores the materialization of invisible physical phenomena, often immersing audiences in interactive spaces between rules and possibilities in constant negotiation. Her creative focus revolves around the critical use of technology, particularly in the context of environmental fragility and climate change.
Her recent piece, The Big Smoke (2023), a collection of 19 digital images, continues this thematic exploration. This artwork is particularly timely, reflecting on the impact of air pollution in urban environments. The Big Smoke draws inspiration from the smog that enveloped New York in 2023 due to wildfires in Quebec, highlighting the growing frequency and intensity of climate-related events. Using generative AI, Lartigue manipulates air quality data to create vivid and imaginative depictions of atmospheric pollution.
The series presents a fictionalized, dream-like version of Paris, where historical and modern architectural elements are cloaked in colorful mist. The colors in the images correlate with air quality metrics, blending the language of environmental data with architectural photography. Lartigue’s visual approach is paradoxically bright and joyful, softening the harsh reality of pollution while inviting critical engagement with the issue. Through The Big Smoke, Lartigue encourages viewers to reflect on the future of urban living and environmental health, offering both a warning and a space for alternative visions of sustainable city life. Her participation in the Lumen Prize Auction by Sotheby’s further solidifies her reputation as a forward-thinking artist who bridges art and technology to address pressing global challenges.