Fiestoforo's Exhibition in the Castle Market

About this Exhibition

For me machines represent the ideal of perfection that goes wrong in its process.

In one of Goya’s engravings, there is a sentence that says “the dream of reason produces monsters”. The common interpretation is that when there is no rationality, you will have chaos.

But sueño in Spanish in addition to sleep, can mean hope, so he could have referred to how progress and civilization can also lead to catastrophe. I like this meaning better.

In addition, machines are creatures that are in a middle state. Although robots are inert objects, they look alive. It is this state of permanent ambiguity that fascinates me. Are they bound, as we are, to die, if they are not alive? Are we close to prove that our cognition is a product of our own physical configuration? These are questions that arise while I create these drawings.

You will also find many references to Latin American topics in these illustrations; that is why, you will find a brief and explanatory piece of writing below each picture.

About Fiestoforo

I was born in Chile. I am a professional translator, who started drawing and illustrating for fun in 2005.

This is my third exhibition, where I gathered a common topic—life, machines and illusions.

Most of the illustrations are first drawn with ink and later painted using the computer, specifically open-source software, like GIMP and Inkscape.

You can see more of my work in www.fiestoforo.cl or www.fiestoforo.blogspot.com.

If you need to contact me please send an email to fiestoforo@gmail.com.

Machines & Robots

Resting robot. An iconic representation of rest and accomplishment by a robot.

A robot is thinking. Thinking is an activity exclusive in humans. With the creation of technology capable of performing huge amounts of calculations, imitating the way human brain works, the word can be applied to machines.

Back-up your memories. The robot seems to be showing an old newspaper issue. It corresponds to an infamous news headline which was issued by the dictatorship of Pinochet in Chile in 1975. It says "terminated as rats", referring to two young men murdered in Argentina. The dictatorship propaganda attempted to hide the extermination of Chilean citizens by stating that they were abroad and murdered by terrorist organizations, to which they belong. The robot is trying to warn us about recursion which is the mindless repetition of actions which lead to disastrous consequences.

Happy robot. Certainly a robot can appreciate the blessing of a lovely day and a stroll by the country side.

Robot and bird. A rusted robot finds and analyses a dead bird. The fragility of life contrasts with the mechanical hope of eternity of the robot.

Spaceship man. Spaceship man seems to be scrutinizing the sky for any impending danger as it is protecting life nearby.

Machine man - Homo Machinis. Our creations usually succeed us. We have been able to "read" marks carved into rock as old as 12,000 years. Sculptures have been collected that were possibly made 800,000 years ago by old human relatives. If we are able to build machines capable to make rational choices, will they carry our own interests and preoccupations? Or will they have their own concerns?

Robot in dump. After some unknown events, the main character awakes or boots up, trying to make cognition of his surroundings. We may well say that it is suffering from a hangover.

Life in the universe

Fiction fable. This image is twofold. On the one hand it alludes to the anthropomorphism typical in indigenous folktales in America, in which the animals with human traits and desires were the main characters of different adventures which would explain cultural aspects. On the other hand, the poster refers to the tales of the time that has not arrived yet. The animal is going to sleep and dream probably. The alien script talks about another dimension which contrasts with the simplicity of the dwelling where the scene occurs.

Dinosaur Man. The doom blizzard is starting and the dinosaur man is scarcely prepared to overcome this challenge. All past civilizations and creatures have met their final extinction in earth. Dinosaurs were dominant for more than 150 million years. Human beings have been here for about 200.000 years. Writing (specifically the alphabet) has been used for 4000 years. Roman Empire lasted 500 years. Haiti became the first independent country in America in 1804. When will we face our end?

Urgency. An alien creature is shown in urgency in rural scenery.

Galactic Hot dog. Elements of Sci-fi and ancestral culture melt in this illustration. The main character is just having junk food before continuing his/her regular activities. In his t-shirt the symbol of the wallmapu, or four- corner world is depicted. Again alien symbols show that although familiar this scene occurs in another dimension.

Ambassadors. Based on a painting called "The Ambassadors" by Hans Holbein the Younger, which is hung in the National Gallery in London, England. These Ambassadors are posing for the public with a strange collection of objects from the outskirts of the universe. Like the original painting by Holbein, this one contains an anamorphous image (distorted image which can be reconstituted by looking at it from a specific vantage point (Up right)).

Re-invigorating fitus sapiens (Thinking Plant). This illustration pays homage to Themo Lobos, a Chilean illustrator, who developed a people of thinking and moving plants. What would happen if a member of this thinking plant people is becoming bold, will he/she be able to reinvigorate themselves?

life & illusions

Recursive. The man is holding a recursive image of himself. Recursive picture or Droste effect is any image which depicts a smaller version of itself, which in turn has another smaller image, and so on, in theory, forever.

Labyrinth. Language is a labyrinth of words. Complex and infinite yet simple and enclosed, we have to transit this trap, believing that we will at least once come out and experience reality without this device of comprehension.

Eppur si muove. Peripheral drift illusion is a motion illusion described by Jocelyn Faubert in 1991. Apparently it is caused by the presence of dark and white stripes in the pattern which trick the brain into see volumes. The character's T-shirt motto is referring to the supposedly words pronounced by Galilei, after being ordered to admit that the earth is stationary--"and yet it moves".

Enjoy life. A pig-woman riding a can of carbonated soft drink represents that artificial bliss depicted in many advertisements. Her voluptuous shape contrasts with the typical idea of health.

Condorito. An anthropomorphic condor posing for the viewer. Condorito is a cartoon created by Chilean René Rios, known as Pepo. Condorito is the representation of the roguish hero, who lives by his wits in a corrupt society.

Poverty. The word Pobreza (poverty in Spanish) is made by one richly decorated capital letter and six neglected and old-looking words.

Texaco. A drum from a famous oil retail brand is used a source of warm and heating.

Escape television. Television is seen as a routine trap, from which you can escape.

Not hung

Robot and rat. A robot silhouette seems to be holding an animal. As the image is stationary we do not know whether they are alive or frozen in time.

Can't play bark. Pixels are the single points in any computer or device screen. Pixel arrangement give shape to forms and letters, as sounds in words represent ideas and concrete objects. In this case, a pixeled robotic dog, instead of actually barking displays an error message, hinting the tendency to error of mechanical devices.