DAVID SZAUDER
mind bending
OK bear with me today because I cannot for the life of me figure out how to embed an instagram video into substack so that it will PLAY here rather than take you to instagram, but I promise it will be worth it. Watch this and come back to me!
Welcome back. If I just lost you to 30 min of watching Szauder’s reels, congratulations on finding your way back here! It’s pretty wild stuff, huh?
I stumbled across David Szauder’s work a few months ago and honestly was so entranced and confused about what I was seeing I could not stop watching. I still can’t tell you what, if anything, is “real” in his videos but I am completely obsessed.
A Hungarian artist, computer scientist, and professor, Szauder uses AI to create much of his work. “His pieces often blend dreamlike imagery with hyper-realistic details, influenced by his admiration for early 20th-century artists. Through his art, David reflects on his personal experiences, emotions, and the philosophical questions he contemplates, imparting a unique, authentic quality to his work. He frequently employs irony to process and express the anxieties and tensions he observes in society.”
The explanation of Szauder’s work comes from a gallery that represents his work, and feels apt. David's images and videos walk a line between uncomfortable and fun that hypnotizes me. The artist describes his Art of Hiding series, featured above, “Surely everyone has experienced the feeling of wanting to disappear in a crowd, on a bus, at a soccer match, in a problematic situation, in the midst of a conflict. Not to become invisible, but to put on a secure-protective layer that perfectly hides what's inside, yet allows for easy visibility. This way, the possibility of observation and presence remains, but we can be sure that no atrocity can reach us inside, in a relatively soft and protective shell. I have created such disguises, garments, armors, and shells by exploring the 'fashion' of other ominous eras. All of this combined with current patterns, and created the end result through an infinitely intelligent neuron simulation.”
I searched the internet high and low to try to find and purchase Szauder’s Anatomy Sweater above, but alas, its AI. Dammit.
I’m holding onto hope that the internet’s (read: my) complete collapse at the sight of such a magnificent piece of clothing will inspire Szauder to have them produced in real life because I need one.
“Analogue Tools for Reality” is so beautiful and a less-than-gentle reminder that we might want to get out and explore the reality surrounding us. The artist captioned the piece, “Various virtual realities exist in the world, but there are those who long for actual reality. I would like to recommend these tools for them!”
I don’t know about you, but I think David Szauder’s attempt to use creativity and fun to help us deal with troubling issues is a breath of fresh air, particularly right now!
If you’d like to know more about David Szauder, start here, and also be sure to follow David on instagram at @davidszauder
Let’s talk more soon, and as always, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments!