Techno-Animism will be minting until December 17th via the Bright Moments marketplace. Each marketplace purchase comes with 3 Techno-Animism mints for 0.1 ETH.

Techno-Animism #330

Emi Kusano -

Neural Fad reimagines Tokyo street fashion history to examine the relationship between AI and memory.

In post-war Japan, distinctive magazines and television cultivated an aspirational youth culture that gave rise to unique fashion subcultures at different train stations around Tokyo. Inspired by the rebellious spirit of each generation and their projections towards an imagined future, Kusano produces records of subcultures that never actually existed.

Reimagining the rich vocabulary and history of Tokyo street fashion through AI, the collection takes the viewer across and beyond the post-war decades of Japanese fashion history —  from the Moga and Mobo of the 1940s to the Japanese hippies known as the Fūten Tribe, the Karasu Tribe of the 90s and the Gyaru and Decora fashion of the late 90s and early 2000 — to present Tokyo street fashion as imagined beyond time. 

Through this collaboration between AI and Japanese street fashion archives that she herself contributed to as a street photographer of Harajuku fashion,  Kusano uses emerging technologies to offer a retro-futuristic intervention into the landscape of Tokyo street fashion.

Neural Fad #0

In Tokyo's streets, where neural trends and ephemeral fads blend, my camera seizes fleeting moments, painting a city caught between yesterday's echoes and tomorrow's dreams.

Synthetic Reflection #4

In my kitchen, the rhythm of the future pulses, spices and algorithms dancing in digital harmony. As I await the return of my beloved, tradition lingers subtly, a quiet undertone to the melody of modernity.

Synthetic Reflection #5

Within the machinations of fortune, I find myself, a mere cog amidst the cosmos. In this ephemeral moment, I yield to the extraordinary, manifesting through the ordinary.

*This artwork was exhibited at NFC Lisbon in June 2023

Synthetic Reflection #1

"Pixelated Perception" explores the complex confluence of the digital and the tangible, highlighting the diverse transitions in Japan. In the 1990s, pixels, the minute elements of the digital realm, emerged prominently in platforms like mobile phone communications and instances of censorship, subtly altering our perception of reality. Using AI generation, Kusano crafts portraits of individuals who, though they don't exist in fact, resonate profoundly in our memories and senses, employing the pixelated effect as a symbolic presence.

Pixels signify the fragmented pieces of our identity and understanding in this digital era. This work's aesthetic, reminiscent of video games, questions the overly pop-consumed roles of men and women, suggesting that these roles are, after all, fictional constructs.

This glitch prompts us to reflect on the interplay between reality and the virtual, encouraging a reevaluation of our perspectives and the freedom to envision differently.

Pixelated Perception 012

Neural Fad #51

AI, 3D, Film
Claire Silver x Emi Kusano
For Gucci  
July 2023  
New York

Our protagonist:

A neo-classic--bold, discerning, unafraid of the strange beauty of the new. A bohemian cyberpunk with an obsession for Grace Kelly & mecha anime, she effortlessly glides through the Harajuku night.

Shinjitai was digitally sculpted & textured with AI art, merging mathematical functions with ancient art from China, Japan, & Eastern and Western Europe. The textures are mixed with aesthetics of global tapestries, then disassembled into vibrant collage. A love-letter from the artists, it's meant to honor the sophistication of experience, the vibrance of youth, the depth of tradition & the promise of the future.

Additionally, the collector receives the full ensemble+avatar as 3D files, suitable to be worn or displayed in metaverse. 

The collector is also gifted 50 yards of physical fabric, embroidered with the work’s primary AI pattern, arriving with a signed+numbered certificate of authenticity.

Shinjitai

IPO Special Offering Edition (1/1)

The first NFT drop by Tokyo-based J-POP musician Emi Satellite Kusano (Satellite Young).

A special audiovisual recording of the unreleased remix tune of the 2nd Single IPO of the solo project by Emi, the vocalist of Satellite Young, who is cult-popular in the Synth-wave scene. 

This song is a Japanese rap song that satirizes the stock market that does not accompany the real economy and sings people's ups and downs.

4K Video + WAVE

Love is IPO Special Offering Edition

Foundation

Neural Fad #72

Neural Fad #2

Neural Fad by Emi Kusano

In the sanctuary of a silken sheath, I yearn to dwell,
Where time stands still, and the echoes of the ticking clocks quell.
A blossom, blooming, in perpetual grace,
Untouched by the hastening pace.

Synthetic Reflection #3

Synthetic Reflection by Emi Kusano

Shinjitai: Claire Silver x Emi Kusano for Gucci

In the early days of the internet, a lone teenager —the artist—found comfort in the digital cosmos. This online place subtly mirrored her journey, becoming a unique universe she felt connected to. In this sanctuary, she discovered bright spots of understanding and Wonder. 

Filter Bubble Euphoria embodies her nostalgia for the time when cyberspace was in its genesis, a period of simplicity and limitless connections before the age of algorithmic isolations.

Filter Bubble Euphoria

Filter Bubble Euphoria by Emi Kusano

Pixelated Perception 007

"Pixelated Perception" explores the complex confluence of the digital and the tangible, highlighting the diverse transitions in Japan. In the 1990s, pixels, the minute elements of the digital realm, emerged prominently in platforms like mobile phone communications and instances of censorship, subtly altering our perception of reality. Using AI generation, Kusano crafts portraits of individuals who, though they don't exist in fact, resonate profoundly in our memories and senses, employing the pixelated effect as a symbolic presence.


Pixels signify the fragmented pieces of our identity and understanding in this digital era. This work's aesthetic, reminiscent of video games, questions the overly pop-consumed roles of men and women, suggesting that these roles are, after all, fictional constructs.


This glitch prompts us to reflect on the interplay between reality and the virtual, encouraging a reevaluation of our perspectives and the freedom to envision differently.


Pixelated Perception 022

Pixelated Perception by Emi Kusano

Techno-Animism #175

Techno-Animism #202

Techno-Animism by Emi Kusano

***Melancholic Magical Maiden*** deconstructs the aesthetics of the 'magical girl' genre from 90's anime, where girls who possess magical abilities typically use them through an ideal alter ego into which they can transform. Emi Kusano reexamines these archetypal heroines, critically analyzing their impact on shaping gender and societal perceptions, and offers a contemporary reinterpretation of these narratives.

Kusano's artwork reveals the duality of magic and reality, mirroring her childhood memories with magical girls. Utilizing a palette of subtle colors and nuanced text, she objectively interprets the nostalgic charm of classic anime alongside an insightful critique of societal constructs, forging a distinct visual language that encourages viewers to ponder the influence of childhood aspirations on their adult identity.



**Technical Composition**
In collaboration with creative coder Yurika Sayo and utilizing p5.js, *Melancholic Magical Maiden* delves deep into the 1990s anime culture. The artwork features effects when the heroines confront their enemies, including heart beams showcasing their charm, bubbles sparkling during their transformation into a secret identity, and mysterious magical circles. These symbolic elements are integrated into the narrative and are further enriched by CRT TV moiré patterns that add visual complexity. Moreover, the motifs include the magical compact used by the girls during transformation, fairy companions leading to other realms, and expressive large eyes, symbolizing iconic elements of the genre.

Not confined to the aesthetics of girls' anime, the work also incorporates elements from boys' anime, such as robot motifs and explosion effects, traversing both feminine and masculine gender pressures. These elements are masterfully depicted through code.

The AI-generated captions deliberately blur the lines of social pressure and anime quotes, offering an ironic commentary. This fusion of code and storytelling serves to evoke childhood memories while simultaneously prompting contemplation about the future, bridging past narratives with evolving perceptions of identity.


**Official Token-Gated Prints**
Collectors of "Melancholic Magical Maiden" will have the opportunity to purchase official, signed, token-gated prints from Emi Kusano. These prints, produced on carefully selected materials, will be available for those who have collected pieces from this series. Details on how to purchase will be announced following the sale.

Melancholic Magical Maiden #48

Melancholic Magical Maiden #138

Melancholic Magical Maiden by Emi Kusano

Morphing Memory of Neural Fad
#1-3 Takenoko Tribe

"Morphing Memory of Neural Fad"

The "Morphing Memory" series is an imaginative exploration into the evolving landscapes of Tokyo street fashion, interpreted through AI. This video series invites viewers on a historical journey through the potential existences of youth cultures, from the post-war elegance of the Moga and Mobo, the liberation of the 70s' Fūten Tribe, the 80s' Takenoko Tribe, the 90s' Karasu Tribe, to the Decora of the 2000s.

Morphing Memory of Neural Fad #1-3 Takenoko Tribe

Morphing Memory of Neural Fad
#1-4 Karasu in Black

"Morphing Memory of Neural Fad"

The "Morphing Memory" series is an imaginative exploration into the evolving landscapes of Tokyo street fashion, interpreted through AI. This video series invites viewers on a historical journey through the potential existences of youth cultures, from the post-war elegance of the Moga and Mobo, the liberation of the 70s' Fūten Tribe, the 80s' Takenoko Tribe, the 90s' Karasu Tribe, to the Decora of the 2000s.

Morphing Memory of Neural Fad #1-4 Karasu in Black

MORPHING MEMORY OF NEURAL FAD

COGNITIVE CHAOS by the Japanese artist Emi Kusano is a series of 33 AI-generated images that venture into the nostalgia of a future once imagined, where brains are directly connected to devices—a concept familiar from science fiction but now echoing with new significance.

COGNITIVE CHAOS juxtaposes Japan’s 1970s obsession with the supernatural—UFOs, ghosts, and psychics—with today’s AI and brain-tech impacts. It questions how these advances blur truth and heighten distraction, urging a reevaluation of our senses in a tech-saturated world.

Kusano encourages introspection on the interplay between our changing perceptions and the evolving digital landscape, advocating for a mindful engagement with the world around us.

Verisart Certified: https://verisart.com/works/e30e346b-9b2f-4a15-9432-3c5d37d877a7

COGNITIVE CHAOS #33

COGNITIVE CHAOS by the Japanese artist Emi Kusano is a series of 33 AI-generated images that venture into the nostalgia of a future once imagined, where brains are directly connected to devices—a concept familiar from science fiction but now echoing with new significance.

As AI blurs the boundaries of truth, COGNITIVE CHAOS contemplates the resurgence of tangible sensations like texture and scent. It invites viewers to explore the balance between technology and the natural world, urging a rediscovery of our sensory experiences amidst the cognitive chaos.

Kusano encourages introspection on the interplay between our changing perceptions and the evolving digital landscape, advocating for a mindful engagement with the world around us.

COGNITIVE CHAOS by the Japanese artist Emi Kusano is a series of 33 AI-generated images that venture into the nostalgia of a future once imagined, where brains are directly connected to devices—a concept familiar from science fiction but now echoing with new significance.

COGNITIVE CHAOS juxtaposes Japan’s 1970s obsession with the supernatural—UFOs, ghosts, and psychics—with today’s AI and brain-tech impacts. It questions how these advances blur truth and heighten distraction, urging a reevaluation of our senses in a tech-saturated world.

Kusano encourages introspection on the interplay between our changing perceptions and the evolving digital landscape, advocating for a mindful engagement with the world around us.

Verisart Certified: https://verisart.com/works/10dfa946-a1f0-4a69-9601-8fe102dfb189

COGNITIVE CHAOS #12

Cognitive Chaos by Emi Kusano

COGNITIVE CHAOS: WIRED REALITIES by Emi Kusano is a self-portrait created with AI that provokes thoughts about a future where AI and human thought processes might merge. 

The aesthetic is reminiscent of the cover of a 1970s Japanese occult magazine. It is both, fantastical and slightly eerie. 

Kusano explores the complex dynamics between technology and humanity, order and chaos, and the internal and external worlds.

Edition 50 / Open Edition

Verisart Certified: https://verisart.com/works/53dcd01d-8f5d-4423-be7f-0b526c3d65aa

COGNITIVE CHAOS: WIRED REALITIES #50

COGNITIVE CHAOS: WIRED REALITIES by Emi Kusano is a self-portrait created with AI that provokes thoughts about a future where AI and human thought processes might merge. 

The aesthetic is reminiscent of the cover of a 1970s Japanese occult magazine. It is both, fantastical and slightly eerie. 

Kusano explores the complex dynamics between technology and humanity, order and chaos, and the internal and external worlds.

Edition 3 / Open Edition

Verisart Certified: https://verisart.com/works/79ebe2df-3381-45e0-95f6-a675962f3fb4

COGNITIVE CHAOS: WIRED REALITIES #3

Cognitive Chaos Wired Realities

This artwork merges the cosmic symbolism of mandalas with the ‘Kawaii’ appeal of cherished characters, reflecting how perceiving different creatures as endearing can be important for fostering peace. The characters, depicted within the mandala’s form, center around a most beloved character, surrounded by others. These characters transform and emerge before the viewer, promoting a sense of meditative tranquility. The piece captures the cycles of creation, maintenance, and destruction in life and the universe, suggesting that empathy towards all living beings can lead to a more peaceful coexistence.

Kawaii Mandala

Bonnō is the Buddhist concept that embodies the blind passions that drive our actions and emotions. The pervasive material desires driven by these passions are the subject of this generative AI series, displayed in the form of various overindulgences that tempt daily actions right up to the altars of worship. 

Feeding from an amalgam of Japanese culture, western influence, and Buddhist traditions and symbolism – the sheer density of material defilements expressed in these works are a widespread phenomena of contemporary life throughout the world. Their hold on our field of view conveys the troubling complexities that seek to impede the attainment of spiritual harmony. worship. 

This series is a study of fictional lives in a retro-future world, imagined by Kusano using artificial intelligence image-making processes, real photography, and digital painting.

Attachment

Darkness

The Altar of Bonnō by Emi Kusano

This AI film explores the microaggressions Kusano experienced in predominantly homogeneous  
communities in the American Mountain West, and how these experiences can lead to a form of  
self-orientalism. The work draws inspiration from the artist’s memories of a high school  
exchange program in the United States in the late 2000s.  
In a conservative and religious region of America, Kusano, the only Japanese in town, struggles  
with complex emotions. She finds herself internalizing stereotypes associated with being  
Japanese and subconsciously relying on "Japaneseness" to gain social acceptance in the local  
community. This experience profoundly shaped her identity formation and continues to influence  
her career today. The woman in the film--whose face is modeled after the artist during her high  
school years--morphs between three different versions of herself: the expected self, the desired  
self, and the true self. These transformations include depictions of stereotypical Asian  
characters commonly seen in Hollywood films, vividly illustrating the impact of media-driven  
stereotypes.  
The production process involves the use of AI-generated still images based on the artist's facial  
features, which are then converted into a single moving image. The images created through  
generative AI emphasize stereotypes of 'Japanese women', highlighting the biases reflected in  
large-scale AI models. This work not only examines these models as collections of societal  
prejudices and their interplay with individual experiences, but also highlights the complexities of  
identity in a globalized world, encouraging viewers to reflect on the relationship between societal  
norms and personal expression. The work explores the impact of cultural stereotypes on

individual identity formation through the artist’s identity crisis, while also examining the  
possibility of transcending these limitations.

Echoes of Expectation

Echoes

SHE/BODY/NULL by Emi Kusano explores the relationship between AI and human identity. Set within a dystopian world under a glowing red moon, Kusano portrays a cyborg-like figure—a hybrid fluidly morphing between human and machine. Through her presence in this world, Kusano contemplates how technology-driven transformations of identity and body might reform each individual. SHE/BODY/NULL is a series of AI-generated transformations in which Kusano's form constantly evolves—her body twists and distorts, intertwining with mechanical cables, dissolving into digital patterns, and re-emerging from data aggregates. Each iteration presents a one-of-a-kind appearance, reconstructing a unique version of Emi Kusano. Kusano leverages AI’s characteristics to reflect cultural biases, deliberately embodying the recurring sci-fi trope of the ‘exotic, mysterious Asian woman‘ to critique and confront such media-driven archetypes. The work presents two possible futures: a world where technology enables totalitarian societal control, and an emancipated vision of humanity embracing expanded physical and intellectual boundaries. Kusano’s work offers a reflection on these possibilities, urging viewers to consider the profound impact of AI on the human experience and the future of society.

Verisart Certified: https://verisart.com/works/70ed9dbf-3677-4aab-9ae2-41d58a10d5ab

SHE/BODY/NULL #1

SHE/BODY/NULL by Emi Kusano explores the relationship between AI and human identity. Set within a dystopian world under a glowing red moon, Kusano portrays a cyborg-like figure—a hybrid fluidly morphing between human and machine. Through her presence in this world, Kusano contemplates how technology-driven transformations of identity and body might reform each individual. SHE/BODY/NULL is a series of AI-generated transformations in which Kusano's form constantly evolves—her body twists and distorts, intertwining with mechanical cables, dissolving into digital patterns, and re-emerging from data aggregates. Each iteration presents a one-of-a-kind appearance, reconstructing a unique version of Emi Kusano. Kusano leverages AI’s characteristics to reflect cultural biases, deliberately embodying the recurring sci-fi trope of the ‘exotic, mysterious Asian woman‘ to critique and confront such media-driven archetypes. The work presents two possible futures: a world where technology enables totalitarian societal control, and an emancipated vision of humanity embracing expanded physical and intellectual boundaries. Kusano’s work offers a reflection on these possibilities, urging viewers to consider the profound impact of AI on the human experience and the future of society.

Verisart Certified: https://verisart.com/works/b3548d43-c946-4c90-b606-ee6863136132

SHE/BODY/NULL #2

She_Body_Null by Emi Kusano

While the Surrealists of the 1920s aimed to free the mind by painting their portrayal of dreams and the unconscious, *Catastrophic Forgetting* discovers a new depiction of automatism through the use of artificial intelligence. The technology’s process of generating images from vast datasets creates what might be called a "machine unconscious" – a space where cultural symbols, ranging from ancient myths to internet memes, merge and transform freely, unrestricted by human logic or preconceptions. For these works, Kusano has trained the AI to learn from iconography of contemporary popular culture where eastern and western symbols have repeatedly reinterpreted each other – creating a cross-cultural surrealism that reflects the pace at which pop influence crosses the world today, and the challenge of making sense of it.

*Catastrophic Forgetting* takes its name from the neural network phenomena where AI systems lose existing information while learning new data – and the series similarly explores the memory loss that humans experience in our information-saturated world. Today, even historically significant events quickly disappear from public attention, let alone the countless new cultural and visual references that we witness minute-to-minute, and that inevitably escape our memory. Through the works in this series, the machine offers back new synthesis of the references that we thought were lost.

Here, the specific creative process employs a multi-stage generative approach, repeatedly reconstructing and combining images through machine learning algorithms that instigate the so-called errors of the series’ namesake phenomena. This process reflects how cultural information is transmitted, translated, and often distorted – creating unprecedented amalgamations beyond human imagination, but within recognition. Through this AI-driven surrealism, these works present visions from the machine's dream state to ultimately surface evidence from our own unconscious states, and suggests new possibilities for how artificial and human consciousness might intersect and evolve. Through this examination, the machine-generated dreams of Catastrophic Forgetting convey a lasting and visceral dialogue  between memory, reality and cultural influence in thise current digital age.

—

*Catastrophic Forgetting* \
2024

Catastrophic Forgetting - #5

Catastrophic Forgetting - #16

Catastrophic Forgetting by Emi Kusano

🌌 Catastrophic Forgetting 🌌

Debuted at Untitled Art Miami to an incredible response, Catastrophic Forgetting reimagines cultural symbols by blending myths, internet memes, and global iconography through AI’s “machine unconscious.”🕴️🍎

Digital Release Details:
📅Dec 17th 1pm est
🖼️16 artworks (from a 25-piece series)
🎟️Fixed price: $500 each
⏰First come, first served | Available for 1 week only

The physical works were well received in Miami—now you can explore the digital release. Don’t miss your chance to collect a piece of the series!

Description
While the Surrealists of the 1920s aimed to free the mind by painting their portrayal of dreams and the unconscious, Catastrophic Forgetting discovers a new depiction of automatism through the use of artificial intelligence. The technology’s process of generating images from vast datasets creates what might be called a "machine unconscious" – a space where cultural symbols, ranging from ancient myths to internet memes, merge and transform freely, unrestricted by human logic or preconceptions. For these works, Kusano has trained the AI to learn from iconography of contemporary popular culture where eastern and western symbols have repeatedly reinterpreted each other – creating a cross-cultural surrealism that reflects the pace at which pop influence crosses the world today, and the challenge of making sense of it.

Catastrophic Forgetting takes its name from the neural network phenomena where AI systems lose existing information while learning new data – and the series similarly explores the memory loss that humans experience in our information-saturated world. Today, even historically significant events quickly disappear from public attention, let alone the countless new cultural and visual references that we witness minute-to-minute, and that inevitably escape our memory. Through the works in this series, the machine offers back new synthesis of the references that we thought were lost.

Here, the specific creative process employs a multi-stage generative approach, repeatedly reconstructing and combining images through machine learning algorithms that instigate the so-called errors of the series’ namesake phenomena. This process reflects how cultural information is transmitted, translated, and often distorted – creating unprecedented amalgamations beyond human imagination, but within recognition. Through this AI-driven surrealism, these works present visions from the machine's dream state to ultimately surface evidence from our own unconscious states, and suggests new possibilities for how artificial and human consciousness might intersect and evolve. Through this examination, the machine-generated dreams of Catastrophic Forgetting convey a lasting and visceral dialogue between memory, reality and cultural influence in thise current digital age.

—

Catastrophic Forgetting
2024

Catastrophic Forgetting (Digital)

This artwork is available through private sale. Please contact curation@tender.art to collect this artwork.

Description
While the Surrealists of the 1920s aimed to free the mind by painting their portrayal of dreams and the unconscious, Catastrophic Forgetting discovers a new depiction of automatism through the use of artificial intelligence. The technology’s process of generating images from vast datasets creates what might be called a "machine unconscious" – a space where cultural symbols, ranging from ancient myths to internet memes, merge and transform freely, unrestricted by human logic or preconceptions. For these works, Kusano has trained the AI to learn from iconography of contemporary popular culture where eastern and western symbols have repeatedly reinterpreted each other – creating a cross-cultural surrealism that reflects the pace at which pop influence crosses the world today, and the challenge of making sense of it.

Catastrophic Forgetting takes its name from the neural network phenomena where AI systems lose existing information while learning new data – and the series similarly explores the memory loss that humans experience in our information-saturated world. Today, even historically significant events quickly disappear from public attention, let alone the countless new cultural and visual references that we witness minute-to-minute, and that inevitably escape our memory. Through the works in this series, the machine offers back new synthesis of the references that we thought were lost.

Here, the specific creative process employs a multi-stage generative approach, repeatedly reconstructing and combining images through machine learning algorithms that instigate the so-called errors of the series’ namesake phenomena. This process reflects how cultural information is transmitted, translated, and often distorted – creating unprecedented amalgamations beyond human imagination, but within recognition. Through this AI-driven surrealism, these works present visions from the machine's dream state to ultimately surface evidence from our own unconscious states, and suggests new possibilities for how artificial and human consciousness might intersect and evolve. Through this examination, the machine-generated dreams of Catastrophic Forgetting convey a lasting and visceral dialogue between memory, reality and cultural influence in thise current digital age.

—

Catastrophic Forgetting
2024

Artworks sold before December 16, 2024 come with an archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta paper, 12.9 x 23 in. signed on Verso. Each corresponding token represents the ownership over the unique original print, to be claimed by the token holder, with shipping at additional cost. Upon resale on the secondary market, the original shall be shipped to the new owner. The receiver of the work will cover shipping costs.

Catastrophic Forgetting (Pre-Sale)

Dear Collectors and Friends,

I am thrilled to announce that my latest AI film, Echoes of Expectation, will be featured in Christie’s online auction, Bridging Worlds: Digital Art Beyond Borders, benefiting the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The auction offers a unique opportunity to not only acquire meaningful digital art but also contribute to a cause that aids millions of displaced individuals globally.

Inspired by the 60th Venice Biennale's theme, Stranieri Ovunque – "Foreigners Everywhere," this auction seeks to explore the transformative power of digital art in connecting worlds and transcending borders. Curated by Micol Ap, Bridging Worlds features 11 remarkable artworks, including my own, generously donated by leading digital artists, including Erick Calderon (Snowfro), IX Shells, Mario Klingemann, Niceaunties, and others.


This auction offers a unique opportunity to not only acquire meaningful digital art but also contribute to a cause that aids millions of displaced individuals globally.

Auction Details
Auction Dates: October 23-30, 2024

Estimate Price: 2-4 ETH

Auction Platform: Christie’s 3.0

Auction Schedule: Bidding opens on October 23 at 10 AM EST and closes on October 30 at 10 AM EST. Please note, bids will close in increments of 10 minutes.

How to Participate
Bidding starts at 0.05 ETH, and the artwork will be sold at the highest bid when the auction closes. There is no need to meet a minimum reserve price of 2 ETH.

To participate, simply log in to Christie’s 3.0 and place your bid during the auction period.

Why This Auction Matters?
Proceeds from this auction will support UNHCR’s mission to protect refugees who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution, or disaster. This collaboration demonstrates the power of digital art in uniting people across borders, raising awareness, and contributing to a better world 🤝🏻

About ‘Echoes of Expectation‘ (2024)
Echoes of Expectation is a deeply personal exploration of identity through the lens of my own experience as a foreigner in the American Mountain West during high school. Drawing from the 60th Venice Biennale theme of Foreigners Everywhere, the work delves into how societal expectations and cultural stereotypes shape one's self-perception. The AI-driven film portrays three different iterations of "self": the expected self, the desired self, and the true self, reflecting the tensions and microaggressions I experienced in a predominantly homogeneous community.

Echoes of Expectation / Christie’s Bridging Worlds: Digital Art Beyond Borders

 Bonnō is the Buddhist concept that embodies the blind passions that drive our actions and emotions. The pervasive material desires driven by these passions are the subject of this generative AI series, displayed in the form of various overindulgences that tempt daily actions right up to the altars of worship. Feeding from an amalgam of Japanese culture, western influence, and Buddhist traditions and symbolism – the sheer density of material defilements expressed in these works are a widespread phenomena of contemporary life throughout the world. Their hold on our field of view conveys the troubling complexities that seek to impede the attainment of spiritual harmony. This series is a study of fictional lives in a retro-future world, imagined by Kusano using artificial intelligence, image-making processes, real photography, and digital painting.


The Altar of Bonnō

COGNITIVE CHAOS by the Japanese artist Emi Kusano is a series of 33 AI-generated images that venture into the nostalgia of a future once imagined, where brains are directly connected to devices—a concept familiar from science fiction but now echoing with new significance.

As AI blurs the boundaries of truth, COGNITIVE CHAOS contemplates the resurgence of tangible sensations like texture and scent. It invites viewers to explore the balance between technology and the natural world, urging a rediscovery of our sensory experiences amidst the cognitive chaos.

Kusano encourages introspection on the interplay between our changing perceptions and the evolving digital landscape, advocating for a mindful engagement with the world around us.


Cognitive Chaos

Melancholic Magical Maiden deconstructs the aesthetics of the 'magical girl' genre from 90's anime, where girls who possess magical abilities typically use them through an ideal alter ego into which they can transform. Emi Kusano reexamines these archetypal heroines, critically analyzing their impact on shaping gender and societal perceptions, and offers a contemporary reinterpretation of these narratives.

Kusano's artwork reveals the duality of magic and reality, mirroring her childhood memories with magical girls. Utilizing a palette of subtle colors and nuanced text, she objectively interprets the nostalgic charm of classic anime alongside an insightful critique of societal constructs, forging a distinct visual language that encourages viewers to ponder the influence of childhood aspirations on their adult identity.

Technical Composition
In collaboration with creative coder Yurika Sayo and utilizing p5.js, Melancholic Magical Maiden delves deep into the 1990s anime culture. The artwork features effects when the heroines confront their enemies, including heart beams showcasing their charm, bubbles sparkling during their transformation into a secret identity, and mysterious magical circles. These symbolic elements are integrated into the narrative and are further enriched by CRT TV moiré patterns that add visual complexity. Moreover, the motifs include the magical compact used by the girls during transformation, fairy companions leading to other realms, and expressive large eyes, symbolizing iconic elements of the genre.

Not confined to the aesthetics of girls' anime, the work also incorporates elements from boys' anime, such as robot motifs and explosion effects, traversing both feminine and masculine gender pressures. These elements are masterfully depicted through code.

The AI-generated captions deliberately blur the lines of social pressure and anime quotes, offering an ironic commentary. This fusion of code and storytelling serves to evoke childhood memories while simultaneously prompting contemplation about the future, bridging past narratives with evolving perceptions of identity.

Official Token-Gated Prints
Collectors of "Melancholic Magical Maiden" will have the opportunity to purchase official, signed, token-gated prints from Emi Kusano. These prints, produced on carefully selected materials, will be available for those who have collected pieces from this series. Details on how to purchase will be announced following the sale.



Melancholic Magical Maiden

Thrilled to announce my global solo tour with 
Bright Moment in both New York and Tokyo! 

Presenting my collection "Techno Animism" as my first open edition, available for two weeks from Dec 6-18.

This collection embodies something I've always cherished in my creative process: Japan's unique optimism towards technology, brought to life through synthetic photography. I'm excited for as many of you as possible to join and immerse yourselves in this world.

Stay tuned for more details on the sale, coming soon!

Emi Kusano - (emikusano)

Emi Kusano - (emikusano)

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