Gretchen Andrew's Facetune Portraits. Hybrid Studio

›Facetune Portraits‹ by Gretchen Andrew is a new series of paintings that delve into the ubiquitous practices of generative code,  AI-powered body modification and traditional portraiture. The algorithmic filters of facetuning, readily available on social media platforms, promise a more ›appealing‹ version of ourselves. Gretchen challenges this ideal by employing custom-built robots to physically apply these ›beautifying‹ algorithms onto wet oil paintings–portraits of Berlin-based influencers interviewed and photographed by the artist herself. For BAW, Gretchen’s creative robotics facility migrates from London to Berlin, presenting a blended physical/digital studio where viewers are exposed to a captivating exploration of the dissonance between our natural state and the constructed image we strive for. 

Gretchen Andrew (US) manipulates systems of power with art, glitter and code. The project is curated and presented in collaboration between HOLON, a Berlin-based art space, and fx(hash), a generative art platform. 

Technical collaboration: MatrLabs 

Exhibition soundscape: Olivier Fröhlich