Pattern of Activation (Gardens of the Galaxy)

“Pattern of Activation (Gardens of the Galaxy)” is technically a slideshow of images from various datasets the artist indexed on a citizen science platform, where volunteers are asked to index, draw on, and categorise images from various datasets, usually with the goal of training image processing AI algorithms and assist scientific research projects. “Pattern of Activation” bring together a collection of found imagery, including wildlife cam photos, astronomical images, snail embryos, monkey blood cells, proteins, bacteria, clouds on Mars, and many others — the artist herself has classified over 12,000 images. If the overabundance of instrumental, machine-readable images may cheapen any meaning or aesthetic value, Novitskova actively digs some poetry out of these datasets. Such poetry comes from a combination of technology and the reality that it attempts to capture: glowing eyes of animals that reflect the flash-light of the camera, digital low resolution artifacts, accidentally stunning compositions of galaxies and forests. The piece questions our obsession and ability to “capture” nature with technological means.