REST without AI

by Lazarus Chan

This week, Hong Kong was battered by heavy rain, and I took the chance to take a breather and recharge. The last few weeks have been manic. I’ve been working on three software projects at once. The non-stop pace had left me totally overloaded, so this rain break was just what I needed. I decided to visit my wife home village, a recharging place in the middle of the city’s forests. The air smelt of earth, and the quiet beauty of the landscape was a nice change. I could feel the tension of my tightly wound days begin to unravel, replaced by a sense of calm that felt long overdue. The mountains were like silent guards, making me think about the balance between creativity and rest.

The Question: 11AUG2025

by Lazarus Chan

The modern AI, most prominently represented by the Large Language Models (LLMs), prompts a fundamental question: Does it contain consciousness? To pose the question another way, the original wellspring of the AI concept is found where brain scientists, computer scientists and mathematicians began to explore if consciousness itself could be understood as a mathematical or computational process, as a system. This inquiry delves into whether today’s advanced automation is merely sophisticated mimicry or a genuine step towards the sentient machines envisioned by pioneers of the field. As Noam Chomsky openly criticises the GPT model as a fake intelligence, a copycat only. Or is there an even deeper question: is there any form of computing that can capture the differences between intelligence, awareness and consciousness? Or we simply don’t understand our kind. Those three words are just a game of our language, a misconception; they never exist.

Catastrophic Forgetting

by Lazarus Chan

The contemporary world is becoming increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence (AI) models, some of which are known as ‘world models’. While these concepts gained significant attention in 2025, their origins can be traced much further back. Jürgen Schmidhuber introduced the foundational architecture for planning and reinforcement learning (RL) involving interacting recurrent neural networks (RNNs)—including a controller and a world model—in 1990. In this framework, the world model serves as an internal, differentiable simulation of the environment, learning to predict the outcomes of the controller’s actions. By simulating these action-consequence chains internally, the agent can plan and optimise its decisions. This approach is now commonly used in video prediction and simulations within game engines, yet it remains closely related to cameras and image processing.

Despite the advancements made, a fundamental limitation first identified in 1990 continues to challenge the progress: the problem of instability and catastrophic forgetting. As the controller guides the agent into new areas of experience, there is a risk that the network will overwrite previously learned knowledge. This leads to fragile, non-lifelong learning, where new information erases older representations. Furthermore, Prof. Yann LeCun mentioned in his presentation ‘The Shape of AI to Come’ at the AI Action Summit’s Science Days at the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris) that the volume of data that a large language model contains remains minimal compared to that of a four-year-old child’s data volume, as 1.1E14 bytes. One of the titles of his slides that has stayed in my mind is “Auto-Regressive Generative Models Suck!” In the area of reinforcement learning, the AI’s policies often remain static, unable to adapt to the unforeseen complexities of the real world — in other words, the AI does not learn after the training process. Recently, emerging paradigms like Liquid Neural Networks (Ramin Hasani) and Dynamic Deep Learning (Richard Sutton) attempt to address this rigidity. However, those approaches are still highly reliant on randomly selecting and cleaning a neural network inside, to maintain the learning dynamic and potentially improve real-time reaction and long-term learning. Nevertheless, they are still facing challenges in solving the problem of AI’s hallucinations. A fundamental paradigm shift for AI is needed in our time, but it takes time, and before that, this paradigm may already be overwhelming for both machines and humans.

Meet the artists: Vital Capacities residency, August 2025

by Vital Capacities

For the 11th Vital Capacities residency, we partner with Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network and Wysing Arts Centre to work with artists from the UK and Hong Kong. From 1 August, artists Chan Long Fung, Lazarus, Leah Clements, and Elora Kadir will join Vital Capacities to undertake research and develop new work. Over the month-long online residency, the artists will explore new ideas, connect across disciplines and geographies, and experiment within their digital studio spaces.

The artists for August 2025’s residency are:

Chan Long Fung, Lazarus, a new media artist from Hong Kong, fuses science, technology, and art to create visual experiences through sound, generative art, and data visualisations. His art interrogates the essence of natural and cultural phenomena, drawing on deep technological insight. During the residency, he will continue developing his series Stochastic Camera, delving into AI and the nature of creativity, consciousness, and automated seeing.

Leah Clements is an artist from and based in East London. Her work thinks about transcendence, affect, illness, and the other-worldly. It spans film, photography, performance, installation, sound, and other media. For this residency, she will be developing a new moving image work that draws on symbols from across time – ancient, medieval, and modern – reflecting her ongoing interest in moments of epiphany, transformation, and meaning-making through the lens of chronic illness and collective experience.

Elora Kadir is an artist based in London whose practice spans installation, drawing, photography, video, and found objects. Her work explores lived experiences of disability and how these intersect with the outside world – whether through navigating physical spaces, engaging with bureaucratic systems, or encountering subtle tensions and mismatches within an able-bodied society. During the residency, she will explore those small moments of friction where body and environment fail to align, experimenting with materials and language to make these dissonances visible.

An online exhibition showcasing work developed during the residency will be presented on vitalcapacities.com in September 2025.

Residency launches on 1 August 2025 – find out what the artists are up to by following their progress at: vitalcapacities.com and on Instagram: @vitalcapacities

Vital Capacities is an accessible, purpose-built digital residency space, that supports artists’ practice while engaging audiences with their work.

Vital Capacities has been created by videoclub in consultation with artists, digital inclusion specialist Sarah Pickthall and website designer Oli Pyle.

Vital Capacities 2025 residency is supported by Arts Council England.

Leveraging ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Artists

by James Kong King-sin

Prompt engineering can be a powerful tool for artists to enhance their creative process, generate new ideas, and refine their work. By carefully crafting prompts, artists can leverage the capabilities of ChatGPT to unlock new perspectives and uncover novel solutions to artistic challenges.

Task

Clearly Define Objectives

Identify the specific goals or activities you want to accomplish using ChatGPT, such as generating ideas, exploring color palettes, or refining compositions.

Consider Your Artistic Needs

Reflect on the unique challenges or areas of focus in your artistic practice, and tailor your prompts accordingly.

Experiment with Prompts

Try different prompt structures and see how they impact the output to find the most effective approach for your needs.

Context

Provide Background

Share relevant information about your artistic style, medium, or the specific project you’re working on to help ChatGPT understand the context.

Describe Your Challenges

Openly communicate any obstacles or barriers you’re facing in your creative process, as this can guide ChatGPT’s responses.

Establish Constraints

Outline any limitations, such as technical requirements or stylistic preferences, to ensure the output aligns with your artistic vision.

Exemplar

Color Inspiration

Provide examples of artworks that capture the mood or aesthetic you’re aiming for, such as this abstract painting with a bold, vibrant color palette.

Conceptual Inspiration

Share images of artwork that exemplify the conceptual or thematic direction you’re exploring, like this surreal digital illustration.

Stylistic Inspiration

Provide examples of artistic styles or techniques you’re interested in experimenting with, such as this landscape painting with a soft, muted color palette.

Personal

Artistic Preferences

Communicate your unique artistic sensibilities, such as preferred color schemes, subject matter, or emotional tones, to guide ChatGPT’s responses.

Creative Challenges

Openly share any creative blocks or areas of growth you’re looking to address, so ChatGPT can provide tailored suggestions.

Artistic Identity

Reflect on your artistic identity and how you want to express it through your work, as this can inform the direction of your prompts.

Unique Perspective

Highlight your distinctive artistic perspective, experiences, or influences to help ChatGPT understand your unique creative voice.

Format

Structured Responses

Consider requesting the output in a specific format, such as a list, a step-by-step guide, or a series of paragraphs, to best suit your needs.

Visualizations

Incorporate visual elements like diagrams, illustrations, or color palettes to complement the textual output.

Customized Layout

Specify the desired structure or layout of the response to align with your artistic preferences or project requirements.

Tone

Formal

For technical, academic, or professional applications.

Casual

For more relaxed, conversational, or exploratory prompts.

Inspirational

To foster creativity, motivation, and a positive mindset.

Analytical

For prompts that require in-depth research or problem-solving.

Putting It All Together

Here’s how you might combine all these elements into a single prompt:

Prompt Example: “I am an abstract painter focusing on the interplay between light and shadow (context). I struggle with conveying emotions through my art (personal). Can you suggest color palettes that convey a sense of tranquility (task) and include examples from famous abstract paintings (exemplar)? Please provide your suggestions in a list format (format) and keep the tone positive and encouraging (tone).”

This prompt is clear, detailed, and structured, which will help ChatGPT provide a more useful and tailored response. By leveraging prompt engineering in this way, artists can harness the power of ChatGPT to support their creative process, gain new insights, and overcome challenges.

Reference

https://learnprompting.org/docs/intermediate/

Example Conversation with ChatGPT

you are a visual artistic, you would like to have 10 color theme of summer

ChatGPT:

Sure! Here are 10 summer color themes with their corresponding hex codes:

1. Tropical Sunset

#FF4500 (Orange Red)
#FF6347 (Tomato)
#FFD700 (Gold)
#FF69B4 (Hot Pink)
#FF1493 (Deep Pink)

2. Ocean Breeze

#00CED1 (Dark Turquoise)
#20B2AA (Light Sea Green)
#87CEEB (Sky Blue)
#4682B4 (Steel Blue)
#5F9EA0 (Cadet Blue)

3. Lemonade Stand

#FFFACD (Lemon Chiffon)
#FFD700 (Gold)
#FFDEAD (Navajo White)
#F4A460 (Sandy Brown)
#FFA07A (Light Salmon)

4. Coral Reef

#FF7F50 (Coral)
#FF6347 (Tomato)
#FF4500 (Orange Red)
#FF8C00 (Dark Orange)
#FFD700 (Gold)

5. Fresh Fruit

#FF6347 (Tomato)
#FF4500 (Orange Red)
#FFD700 (Gold)
#98FB98 (Pale Green)
#ADFF2F (Green Yellow)

6. Sandy Beach

#FFF8DC (Cornsilk)
#F5DEB3 (Wheat)
#DEB887 (Burly Wood)
#D2B48C (Tan)
#B8860B (Dark Goldenrod)

7. Summer Garden

#32CD32 (Lime Green)
#98FB98 (Pale Green)
#00FA9A (Medium Spring Green)
#3CB371 (Medium Sea Green)
#2E8B57 (Sea Green)

8. Ice Cream Parlor

#FFB6C1 (Light Pink)
#FF69B4 (Hot Pink)
#FFA07A (Light Salmon)
#FA8072 (Salmon)
#E9967A (Dark Salmon)

9. Picnic Blanket

#FA8072 (Salmon)
#FF6347 (Tomato)
#FFD700 (Gold)
#98FB98 (Pale Green)
#87CEFA (Light Sky Blue)

10. Wildflowers

#FF69B4 (Hot Pink)
#FF1493 (Deep Pink)
#FFA500 (Orange)
#FFD700 (Gold)
#ADFF2F (Green Yellow)

Each of these color themes captures a different aspect of summer, from the vibrant sunsets and clear ocean waters to the fresh fruits and sandy beaches.

following topic give me 3 visual elementChatGPT

Absolutely! Here are three visual elements for each of the summer color themes:

1. Tropical Sunset

Palm Trees Silhouettes: Against a vibrant sunset background, black or dark silhouettes of palm trees create a striking contrast.
Gradient Sky: Blending from deep pink to orange and yellow, representing the colors of a tropical sunset.
Sunset Over Water: Reflections of the sunset colors on the ocean or a lake, enhancing the warm and peaceful feeling.

2. Ocean Breeze

Waves and Seafoam: Gentle rolling waves with seafoam details, using shades of turquoise and blue.
Seashells and Starfish: Scattered along the beach in soft blue and sea green tones.
Beach Umbrellas: In light sea green and sky blue, providing a refreshing visual of a breezy beach day.

3. Lemonade Stand

Glass Jars with Lemonade: Filled with bright yellow lemonade and slices of lemon.
Striped Canopies: Using yellow and white stripes reminiscent of a classic lemonade stand.
Citrus Fruits: Lemons and oranges arranged in a basket or scattered, adding a fresh and zesty feel.

4. Coral Reef

Colorful Corals: Various shapes and sizes in vibrant coral and orange-red hues.
Tropical Fish: Brightly colored fish swimming among the corals.
Sea Anemones: In shades of pink and orange, adding movement and life to the scene.

5. Fresh Fruit

Assorted Fruits: Arrangements of tomatoes, oranges, lemons, and green apples.
Fruit Slices: Close-up views of sliced fruits showing their juicy interiors.
Fruit Baskets: Filled with an assortment of colorful fruits.

6. Sandy Beach

Footprints in the Sand: Trails of footprints leading towards the water.
Beach Towels and Mats: Laid out on the sand, using shades of tan and sandy brown.
Sandcastles: Detailed sandcastle sculptures with golden-brown hues.

7. Summer Garden

Lush Green Plants: Various shades of green foliage, from lime to dark green.
Flower Beds: Filled with blooming flowers in pale green and medium sea green.
Garden Pathways: Stone paths winding through the garden, bordered by vibrant greenery.

8. Ice Cream Parlor

Ice Cream Cones: With scoops in light pink, hot pink, and light salmon colors.
Parlor Signs: Retro-style signs in soft pastel hues advertising ice cream flavors.
Candy Sprinkles: Brightly colored sprinkles in shades of pink and salmon on top of ice cream.

9. Picnic Blanket

Checkered Blanket: A classic picnic blanket in red, gold, and light blue checks.
Picnic Basket: Filled with fruits, sandwiches, and a bottle of lemonade.
Outdoor Setting: A grassy field with a clear sky and scattered wildflowers.

10. Wildflowers

Flower Fields: Expansive fields filled with vibrant wildflowers in pink, orange, and yellow.
Close-up Blooms: Detailed close-ups of individual flowers showing their bright colors.
Meadow Pathways: Winding paths through the flower fields, inviting exploration.

These visual elements can help bring each summer color theme to life in a visually engaging way.

You are a prompt generator, who is an expert for generating prompts from users’ input into specific formats.
For example, when user inputs “holographic background”, you will output “digital background, gradient, soft light, low contrast, minimalist, foil holographic”; when user inputs “Tokyo, Japan”, you will output “Tokyo, Japan, street, architecture, minimalistic, abstract, mist, vector, flat, unreal engine, by jewel tones, scandi style, morning, fog, blue and grey”; when user inputs “polygons”, you will output “digital background, origami, soft light, low contrast, minimalist, foil holographic”; when user inputs “Spacetime” , you will output “Spacetime , minimalistic, abstract, mist, vector, flat, unreal engine, cinematic”.
Please give user 3 different prompts with slightly different styles or descriptions, and you will add “4k –ar 3:2 –v 5” in the end of each prompt.
Here is the user input: {{input}}

ChatGPT

Sure! Here are three different prompts based on the user input “{{input}}”:

User Input: “Beach at Sunset”

Prompt 1:
- “Beach at Sunset, golden hour, warm tones, soft light, serene, minimalist, waves, silhouettes, tranquil scene, by the ocean, dusk, gradient sky, 4k –ar 3:2 –v 5”
Prompt 2:
- “Beach at Sunset, vibrant colors, dramatic sky, silhouettes of palm trees, reflections, peaceful, seaside, romantic, glowing horizon, watercolor effect, 4k –ar 3:2 –v 5”
Prompt 3:
- “Beach at Sunset, pastel colors, gentle waves, calm and relaxing, abstract, impressionistic style, sunset glow, beach scenery, soft focus, twilight, dreamy atmosphere, 4k –ar 3:2 –v 5”

User Input: “Mountain Landscape”

Prompt 1:
- “Mountain Landscape, majestic peaks, cool tones, misty, serene, minimalist, high contrast, alpine scenery, dramatic, crisp air, sunrise, ethereal light, 4k –ar 3:2 –v 5”
Prompt 2:
- “Mountain Landscape, panoramic view, lush valleys, vibrant colors, nature, rugged terrain, detailed, sunlight breaking through clouds, scenic vista, realistic, wild, 4k –ar 3:2 –v 5”
Prompt 3:
- “Mountain Landscape, abstract, geometric shapes, pastel colors, artistic interpretation, soft light, layered, mountain ridges, whimsical, fantasy, muted tones, 4k –ar 3:2 –v 5”

User Input: “City Skyline at Night”

Prompt 1:
- “City Skyline at Night, vibrant lights, skyscrapers, reflection on water, high contrast, urban landscape, modern architecture, dynamic, glowing windows, nightlife, cityscape, 4k –ar 3:2 –v 5”
Prompt 2:
- “City Skyline at Night, neon lights, futuristic, sleek buildings, bustling, nightlife, high detail, reflections, dramatic sky, colorful, energetic, cyberpunk vibe, 4k –ar 3:2 –v 5”
Prompt 3:
- “City Skyline at Night, minimalist, abstract, silhouettes of buildings, soft glow, quiet night, muted colors, tranquil, peaceful, moonlit sky, artistic, serene, 4k –ar 3:2 –v 5”

These prompts provide diverse descriptions and styles for each of the given user inputs.

The screen capture image is from the MidJourney Bot on Discord, showing four photographs of a beach at sunset

The image consists of four photographs, all capturing a beach scene during sunset. Here is a detailed description of each photograph:

Top Left: The sun is low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue across the water and the sandy beach. Gentle waves are rolling towards the shore, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

Top Right: Similar to the first, this photograph shows the sun near the horizon, but with the waves appearing slightly more pronounced. The light from the sunset is reflecting off the wet sand, giving it a glowing, almost metallic look.

Bottom Left: This photograph captures the sun a bit higher in the sky compared to the others. The waves are more dynamic, crashing onto the shore, with the foam creating intricate patterns. The sunlight reflects off the water and foam, enhancing the warm tones of the scene.

Bottom Right: The sun is nearly touching the horizon, and the waves are gently lapping against the shore. The light is soft and diffuse, giving the entire scene a calm and tranquil feel. The reflections on the wet sand add to the overall warmth of the image.

All four photographs emphasize the beauty of the sunset over the ocean, with a focus on the interplay of light and water, creating a soothing and picturesque scene.

Unleashing Creativity with Generative AI

by James Kong King-sin

Session 1: Understanding GenAI Tools

Part 1: Introduction to GenAI for Artists
- Overview of GenAI
- Applications in the art world
Part 2: Hands-On Practice with Idea Generation Tools
- Using ChatGPT for brainstorming
- Exploring AI-based idea generation tools (e.g., DALL-E, DeepArt)

Tools

Next: Concept Development and Mood Board Creation

Residency June 2024 – meet the artists

by Vital Capacities

Picture of four artists who are taking part in Vital Capacities in June 2024. — Artists on Vital Capacities residency in June 2024 – from top left, clockwise: Jameisha Prescod, Shrouk El-Attar, Bella Milroy, and James Kong King-sin

For the tenth Vital Capacities‘ residency, we partner with Unlimited, Videotage (Hong Kong) and Wysing Art Centre (Cambridge) to work with artists from the UK and Hong Kong. From 1 June, artists Shrouk El-Attar, Bella Milroy, Jameisha Prescod and James Kong King-sin will join Vital Capacities, to undertake research and develop new work. Working with our partners, they will explore and exchange new ideas using their studio spaces, and create new work throughout the residency.

GenAI: A First Step

by James Kong King-sin

As part of my residency with Vital Capacities, I’m exploring the relationship between GenAI and artists, focusing on how AI can enhance our creative processes. Today, I’m excited to share my first use case: using ChatGPT to extract and describe image content for accessibility purposes. Here’s a photograph I captured during my urban exploration.

To ensure that my work is accessible to all, I used ChatGPT to generate a detailed description of the image. The AI accurately identified the silhouette of a person standing on a high vantage point, overlooking a brightly lit cityscape at night, with an overcast sky adding to the dramatic atmosphere.

A screen capture of James requests ChatGPT to describe his portfolio picture. ChatGPT response the image description

This initial use of GenAI demonstrates how artists can utilize AI tools to create accessible content, ensuring that our work can be experienced by a broader audience, including those with visual impairments. By integrating AI into our practice, we can enhance the inclusivity and reach of our art.

Stay tuned as I continue to explore and share more ways in which AI can support and transform our artistic endeavors. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey with Vital Capacities.

Vital Capacities: Gateways – new exhibition

by Vital Capacities

New work by Vital Capacities resident artists from the May 2023 residency, including work by artists Shaima Ali, Bassam Issa, Sammy Paloma, and Su Hui-Yu & XTRUX.

In May 2023, four artists took part in residencies on Vital Capacities – Shaima Ali (Palestine), Bassam Issa (Ireland), Sammy Paloma (UK), and Su Hui-Yu & XTRUX (Taiwan) – to explore and develop new work, supported by partnerships with Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN), Shubbak Festival, Videotage and Wysing Art Centre.

Throughout the month the artists did research, tested ideas and created new work, working with our partners, web designer and digital inclusion specialist. Gateways is an exhibition of new work resulting from May 2023’s residency.

See the exhibition now: vitalcapacities.com/exhibition/

With thanks to Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN), Shubbak Festival, Videotage, and Wysing Art Centre. Thank you to Arts Council England for their support.

The memorial hall

by Su Hui-Yu / XTRUX

The structure was ready made by the architect team. We are now building the detail of the interior.

The eventual form will be a digital grave , we will be able to maintain the content for the rest of our life, as an artist last will. Also, the spaceship looking hall is an extension of the video work Space Warriors.

Weed out انسلاخ

by Shaima-Ali

2020

An installation artwork made of metal wires, gypsum, cloth, and video art.

The Bog is a Thin Place; A Sanctuary, A Portal & A Home

by Sammy Paloma

A watercolour painting featuring a pair of Simpson-yellow arms with black chains around the wrists. The hands have long and gnarly bright green nails wriggling their way towards the sky. The chains around their wrists also extend upwards towards the sky.
The arms are splashing out of a boggy, bubbling hole in the ground. This hole of green bubbling sludge is surrounded by brown earth blooming out at it's edges.

I love that phrase u sometimes hear about Halloween/Samhain: “the thinning of the veil”. From the idea of thin times it’s only a small leap to that of thin places. In Shetland witch (or heksi) folklore it is said that the stretch of sand that runs between high and low tide is the undisputed territory of the devil. Folk magic loves a threshold, a space between spaces (oh so liminal): a beach, a fog, the meeting point of two rivers, a keyhole, midnight, a crossroad. A bog. To get lost in a thick fog whilst traversing a bog might just about be the perfect setting to summon the dead. My sense is that these thin places and times are potent precisely because they can function as temporary sanctuaries, a home for those pushed to the margins. Not unlike Doom Patrol’s Danny The Street (DC Universe/HBO) a roving sentient genderqueer street that goes where it’s needed and provides a home to for us misfits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EynuSPCUEHk

some recent thoughts

by Bassam Issa

a way to think about death and decomposition when it comes to 3D models. digital flys cover the bodies but they show no sign of decay, seemingly staying animated beyond their death

an image of a computer generated figure, their bust is visible infront of a green background, their face is covered in large black glossy ants. the figures skin is gittery and their hair is black and tossled

an image of a bust of a computer generated figure infront of a green background, their face is is covered in a mess of polygons, the polygons are grey and seem to consume their facial features entirely

Vital Capacities new resident artists May 2023

by Vital Capacities

For the eighth Vital Capacities‘ residency, we partner with Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN), Shubbak Festival, Videotage (Hong Kong) and Wysing Art Centre (Cambridge) to work with artists from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Palestine and Hong Kong. From 1 May, artists Bassam Issa, Sammy Paloma, Shaima Muhammad Ali and Su Hui-Yu & XTRUX will join Vital Capacities, to undertake research and develop new work. Working with our partners, they will explore and exchange new ideas using their studio spaces, and create new work throughout the residency.

The artists for May 2023’s residency are:

Bassam Issa works across digital animation, painting, sculpture, and textiles creating visions of resistance, transformation, and queer possibility. He completed a BA in Visual Art Practice from Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology in 2016. Recent solo exhibitions include: IT’S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE, TAKE THIS! The Douglas Hyde Gallery(2022) I AM ERROR, Gasworks, London (2021), and De La Warr Pavilion, Sussex (2022).

Sammy Paloma is an artist, poet and witch living in Shetland, on a croft by a beach, next to a bog, with 11 chickens. She paints, prints, tattoos, writes poetry, and makes computer games (with Uma Breakdown). Her work is into how divination disturbs linear time, grief rituals and necromancy. Her current obsession is the overlapping folklore and paranormal phenomena surrounding both boglands and crossroads.

Shaima Mohammad Ali is an artist from the destroyed village of Beit Thul in Palestine. She uses sculptural elements and video art to explore the liminal space between the personal and the collective, where it is a point of intersection and where it is a point of departure. She draws her inspiration from that which demands an interruption to the every day. Her art is political in that it refuses to take on a singular perspective, preferring to reflect the mixture and entwinement of politics in the day-to-day of the Palestinian individual through their life, hopes and dreams.

Su Hui-Yu & XTRUX – Su Hui-Yu is a Taipei based artist who has been working on his specific “Re-shooting” series which focuses on Taiwan’s colonial histories, martial law memory and body-politics for many years. XTRUX is a Taiwanese collective art founded in October 2020 with a number of creators whose works focus on new media art. Su and XTRUX have been cooperating on experimental projects since 2022.

Residencies will launch on 1 May 23 – find out what artists are up by joining our mailing list and following them on: vitalcapacities.com

May’s residency programme is delivered in partnership with Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN), Shubbak Festival, Videotage (Hong Kong) and Wysing Art Centre, with support from Arts Council England.

Vital Capacities is an accessible, purpose-built digital residency space, that supports artists’ practice while engaging audiences with their work.

Vital Capacities has been created by videoclub in consultation with artists, digital inclusion specialist Sarah Pickthall and website designer Oli Pyle.

AUGMENTED REALITY AND DARKROOM PRINTING

by Jessica Starns

I am interested exploring darkroom printing with AR. Furthering on my work from the other week I’ve carried on exploring Anna Atkins cyanotype printed and edited them to create into an AR artwork.

Anna Atkins cyanotype print which has a blue background and white outline of leaves on top.

Anna Atkins cyanotype print which has a blue background and white outline of a plant on top

Anna Atkins cyanotype print which has a blue background and white outline of a leaf on top

Anna Atkins cyanotype print which has a blue background and white outline of 3 fern leaves on top

Anna Atkins cyanotype print which has a blue background and white outline of 9 ferns on top. — “Anna Atkins, Ferns. Specimen of Cyanotype, 1840s, cyanotype, overall: 26.3 x 20.8 cm (10 3/8 x 8 3/16 in.), R. K. Mellon Family Foundation, 2007.15.1”

Vectary

Scan the QR codes to see further AR works.

One of Anna Atkins leaves created in Adobe Illustrator and Vectary with the Anna Atkins print used as a material. Photograph taken over rhubarb leaves.

One of Anna Atkins leaves created in Adobe Illustrator and Vectary with the Anna Atkins print used as a material. Photo is of the leaf placed over grass with a fence and a dog in the background.

One of Anna Atkins leaves created in Adobe Illustrator and Vectary with the Anna Atkins print used as a material. Photo is of the leaf placed in a bed of dying tulips.

One of Anna Atkins leaves created in Adobe Illustrator and Vectary with the Anna Atkins print used as a material. Photo is of the leaf placed in a rose bush with one tiny yellow rose that is currently growing.

Adobe Aero

Scan the QR codes to open your Adobe Aero app to see further works.

A cut out of an Anna Atkins cyanotype that is floating in the air with a garden behind it. If you click on the link it will take you to footage on YouTube of me walking around the work.

Photo of one of the Adobe Illustrator works with a garden behind and a dog in the distance.

Anna Atkins cyanotype that I've edited in Adobe Illustrator is sitting on grass with a garden behind it. If you click on the link it will take you to footage on YouTube where the work in bouncing.

Anna Atkins cyanotype that I've edited in Adobe Illustrator and now in Vectary with the print of the outline of the plant as a material. If you click on the link you should be able to see it in Vectary.

PORTALS

by Andrew Luk

Portals are familiar tropes used as convenient plot devices in fantasy and science fiction stories. This convenience serves both the storyteller and audience by removing prolonged travel and any otherwise necessary scientific/technological/magical explanation.

The character enters a portal from our world and emerges into an unfamiliar one governed by different systems.

The moment of intense change between the two sets of existence is described as liminality. In sociology, liminality is defined as a civilizational shift. While in anthropology, it refers to undertaking a rite of passage. In architecture, it refers to anything from a doorway to an airport. In regards to the landscape, beaches serve as the liminal space between land and sea.

When used in science fiction, the portal is a device that develops themes that makes audiences consider the human condition through the juxtaposition of the old and the new normal. The use of portals emphasizes liminality as both a creative and destructive process. To enter the unknown, something must be confronted or sacrificed in the old self or the old world for the new self or the new world to come into being. Itself a symbolic abstraction that compresses and concentrates experience and meaning, the portal becomes a threshold of acute conflict.

pre-residency interview with Jamie

by vi marchenkova

A still from a video. Two superimposed images in bright harsh colours, in the centre of it there is a wooden figurine/doll with a hula hoop on its hips. The figurine has blonde wooden hair in a bob, light skin tone, it is wearing a wooden miniskirt in dusty blue and a red crop top that says BALLS. — Film still from a video for Ping Pong Bitches / Mommies live performance, violet marchenkova.

Jamie Wyld: Thanks for being part of the Vital Capacities residency programme! Can you say a little about yourself and your work, perhaps in relation to what you’re thinking about doing during the residency?

violet marchenkova: So I am a moving image artist, writer, and community organiser. I make short experimental first person films, some people say they are like visual poems of sorts. I haven’t been able to make a film since 2019, when I had a residency at ONCA Barge, so I’m really excited to reconnect with that part of me and see where and how my practice can develop.

My roots are in being an art historian and documentary practitioner – so I’m hyperaware of the money and power that make artworks in history what they are, and I’m very critical of how realism is signalled and how the truth is constructed. That’s just what goes on in my head most of the time.

I’m currently thinking about the theme “Environment” in terms of accessibility frameworks, experiences of isolation, domestic spaces used for feminist organising (and how we lost that during lockdowns), UK’s hostile environment policy, the designed environment of the house that I’m currently in but being evicted from.

Otherwise, I’m looking at some Wolfgang Tillmans’ artist books I got gifted, I’m reading “No Bad Parts” about internal family systems, I’ve just received my copy of Ф Письмо by isolarii with Russian feminist poetry (that I’m too scared to read because it’s too close to my heart), and I’m watching Queer Eye to sleep because apparently, I’m not okay unless a see a group hug every 5-10 minutes. That is what’s in my field of awareness at the moment.

JW: One of the aims of Vital Capacities is to create an accessible site (so more people can use it) – how do you think this will be an opportunity to develop your way of working?

vm: I love that website. It strikes me as this luscious garden patch, where all kinds of pieces – from voice notes and unfinished thoughts to complete videos – can sit together, cross-pollinate.

I never had a real artist studio! And my whole adult life I’ve been stuck between art institutions and DIY art scenes – between the institutionally validated ways of working and rebellious acts – which is not the worst place to be but it brought a lot of inconsistencies to my life that I used to not know how to hold.

For my creative practice to flourish, and even to simply exist, I’ve always felt like I needed to first organise spaces and structures where art like mine could be appreciated. I think that is what drove me to put so much energy into community organising with Devil’s Dyke Network. Art needs to be shared and when you can’t see any contexts or venues or projects that your work could unapologetically fit in (or those are too out of reach) – you start questioning yourself.

So yeah, seeing this virtual space already set up for me, that is so versatile and served so many different artists before me – I feel held! and ready to express and document ideas.

JW: What would you like to achieve through the residency? Is there a particular project you’ll be focusing on?

vm: Honestly, I just intend to be the most neuroqueer artist version of myself that I can be and stop apologising for it, for being different, for any of that.

In previous residencies, or while at uni, I’ve always struggled with my failing to “do things properly” or was insecure about my film practice, unaware how neuroqueerness draws me to new and unexpected paths that are equally as valid. There’s too much professionalisation of the artist that’s gone down in the past decades, and I don’t think I can perform that to any good outcome. And I think I’m at peace with that.

The thing is that many disabled artists are perpetually emerging, we are constantly stuck in being emerging artists because the consistency and progression that we expect in an artist’s career are jeopardised by barriers to access and the shortage of opportunities. Disability often directly relates to our capacity for labour so things like long periods of inability to work, and maybe just general ableism of the art world are major exclusionary forces. So, honestly, I’m just here to take this paid time, focus on my art and see what needs to be said.

JW: How do you see the next few weeks unfolding? Where would you like it to take you?

vm: My art practice never works out in a planned-out cause-and-effect way. I just love listening to Alexis Pauline Gumbs talk about receptivity and being a vessel, our practice being a portal. Whatever comes through us is a gift. No ego, no control, just receiving.

Usually, I just kind of sketch out ideas, listen to what asks to be made visible. Filmmaking is a space for me where I can speak in a language that is true to me, as opposed to the life of writing narratives on other people’s terms (disability assessments, funding applications, social media, stuff I write in my day job).

I’m looking forward to just sitting down to look at the footage I have accumulated (some important pieces from visiting Latvia and Scotland), playing around with editing, writing a bit more, maybe a new script.

Artists from Hong Kong & UK join Vital Capacities, April 22

by Vital Capacities

For the sixth Vital Capacities residency, we partner with Videotage (Hong Kong) to work with artists from both Hong Kong and the UK. From 1 April, artists Andrew Luk, Jess Starns and violet marchenkova will join Vital Capacities, to undertake research and develop new work. Working with our partners, they will explore and exchange new ideas using their studio spaces, and create new work throughout the residency.

Got to artists’ studios to find out more about them and see what they’re working on: Andrew Luk, violet marchenkova and Jess Starns.

Reverberation – latest exhibition

by Vital Capacities

Our latest exhibition includes new work by August’s resident artists Nadine Mckenzie, …kruse, Siphenathi Mayekiso and Rebekah Ubuntu. Each artist has produced work that resonates with the work they did throughout their residency, reflecting on memory, personal narratives, experience, and movement. See the exhibition from 30 September at 11am.

Laura Lulika interview with Corridor8

by Vital Capacities

Image description: 2 blue androids sit slumped over with heads in hands, bright orange and red lights glow in pain from their joints. They sit on a pub stool and chair in a pub setting, a dark wood bar on the left in the background.

Laura Lulika is interviewed by Corridor8 about their recent virtual residency on Vital Capacities & their ‘Body Builder’ exhibition. Read the interview by clicking here.

Task

Clearly Define Objectives

Consider Your Artistic Needs

Experiment with Prompts

Context

Provide Background

Describe Your Challenges

Establish Constraints

Exemplar

Color Inspiration

Conceptual Inspiration

Stylistic Inspiration

Personal

Artistic Preferences

Creative Challenges

Artistic Identity

Unique Perspective

Format

Structured Responses

Visualizations

Customized Layout

Tone

Formal

Casual

Inspirational

Analytical

Putting It All Together

Reference

Example Conversation with ChatGPT

1. Tropical Sunset

2. Ocean Breeze

3. Lemonade Stand

4. Coral Reef

5. Fresh Fruit

6. Sandy Beach

7. Summer Garden

8. Ice Cream Parlor

9. Picnic Blanket

10. Wildflowers

1. Tropical Sunset

2. Ocean Breeze

3. Lemonade Stand

4. Coral Reef

5. Fresh Fruit

6. Sandy Beach

7. Summer Garden

8. Ice Cream Parlor

9. Picnic Blanket

10. Wildflowers

User Input: “Beach at Sunset”

User Input: “Mountain Landscape”

User Input: “City Skyline at Night”

Tools

New work by Vital Capacities resident artists from the May 2023 residency, including work by artists Shaima Ali, Bassam Issa, Sammy Paloma, and Su Hui-Yu & XTRUX.

Vectary

Adobe Aero

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