Lawrence LEK, an artist based in London, works with video game software and CGI animation, merges real places with virtual worlds to look at how humans interact with AI and how digital images alter our experiences in the real world. He explores worldbuilding, the creative approach of crafting entire fictional worlds, as a form of collage, incorporating elements from the materials and virtual worlds to develop narratives of alternate histories and possible futures. Lek’s Grand Prix-winning work, “Black Cloud”, revolves around a conversation between an urban AI system designed to surveil a city that has been abandoned and their built-in therapist, seemingly the product of their own mind. By setting the dialogue within the ruins of the fictional smart city of SimBeijing, the video continues Lek’s exploration of the psychological impact of technological landscapes.
Interview >