Abstract
Humanity is facing a new era in terms of interaction with images, but the longing that some people at times may feel for the presence of individuals that are lost or imaginary is ancient. AI technology makes it possible to “interact” with individuals that are not present or real, and the digital development creates the need of a greater consciousness regarding how the new tools can affects us, individually and collectively. A deeper understanding of the relationship between lifelike images and human beings can begin with analyses of two thousand years old portrait statues from Classical Antiquity, as they were made to represent real presences. There was a spiritual element to the phenomenon that can be traced back to prehistoric animistic beliefs, and the production aimed at something that present-day digital hologram and 3D avatar technology x AI bring to an unfathomable level. Through approaching the physical contexts of the display of Roman portrait statues in their architectural and natural surroundings, and comparing them to information in ancient, written sources, the present paper discusses the ways by which the illusion of life was made in Antiquity. It is the first step in the developing of a project that will explore how the conjuring of lost or imaginary individuals have affected us as human beings throughout history. Historical knowledge can provide us with mental tools that makes it safer to manoeuvre in a world where the difference between real and imaginary beings may become blurred.
Presenters
Marina PrusacAssociate Professor and Keeper of the Collection of Classical Antiquities, Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Antiquity, Art, Classics, Real-Imaginary, Portraiture, Statuary, Contextual, Pygmalion, Reception, Consciousness
