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Pedro Gil Farias

zeefdrukken, publieke ruimte, Media, Internet, interactief, installatie, DIY, Artistiek onderzoek

​​As an interdisciplinary researcher, artist and designer, I repurpose digital and analog media to critically reflect on cities and urban spaces. Through spatial and artistic interventions, participatory workshops and other interactive experiences, that question preconceived assumptions about the urban spaces we inhabit and open up conversations and processes of co-imagination and creation of alternatives. In my working process, I adopt a DIY and amateurist approach, using a range of different media, from 3D scanning and photogrammetry, to modded video games and printmaking. A key aspect is looking at projects as open-ended and open-source, documenting the process and making it available for further re-appropriation. My research and artistic practice focuses on participatory, DIY and informal approaches to urbanism and city-making. This focus is something that organically evolved from my background in participatory and critical design and my personal interest in spatial appropriation reflected in skateboarding and graffiti.

Lagares do Alvará
Lagares do Alvará - ”Lagares d’Alvará” is a virtual space inviting the audience to explore a world that documents and speculates on urban renewal projects that continue to transform the historic but forgotten neighbourhood of Mouraria. The project tackles a rising trend of urban smoothness and aestheticization of public space to make cities more consumable and attractive for outside investment, by painting a partial picture of Mouraria as a flourishing, self-sufficient neighbourhood, no longer at the hands of tourism or municipal interventions. The scenario is played out within the videogame Fortnite using re-appropriated game assets and 3D scans from real locations in Lisbon. The space and narrative is based on real events and conversations with residents, guiding the visitors through the speculative scenario and inviting them to explore a subjective mapping of the neighbourhood of Mouraria and the different power dynamics and controversies acting out in the area.
Felyx.city - FELYX.CITY is an exploration on commoning by looking at shared mobility services (scooters, mopeds, etc.) and their impact on the urban space. Now it consists of a series of physical and digital interventions that take as a starting point the same 3D scan of a Felyx (shared e-moped). /// Under the tagline “Own the City”, the Dutch company Felyx deploys hundreds, if not thousands, of shared e-scooters every day. While ‘sharing is caring’, unfortunately these type of shared vehicles tend to cause more trouble in the space they occupy. Becoming then a symbol for carelessness. /// www.felyx.city
Satellite Writers - Satellite Writers is a living collection of digital satellite images sourced from Google Earth. The snapshots capture graffiti writing in different locations that are visible and legible from space, finding new meaning in graffiti spotting and in documenting its ephemeral qualities.
What a Mess - What a Mess is a collaborative project initially developed by Pedro Gil Farias and Hugo Pilate during the ‘Realities in Transition’ residency at V2_ exploring the untapped narrative potential of the urban fabric, and its place in the digital representation of cities. /// Together with different participants we hosted multiple photogrammetry walkshops and set out to digitally sample 3D vignettes of the neighborhoods visited in relation to different urban issues (hostile architecture, gentrification and street art, the porous city, etc.). /// www.whatamess.city
The Skatable City - ‘The Skateable City’ is a workshop format that allows participants to skate the unskateable by bringing 3D scans of real spaces/objects done in Polycam into a modded version of the skateboarding videogame Skater XL. It combines the original project’s ethos to “explore the untapped narrative potential of the urban fabric” with the DIY spirit of creative appropriation of space both found in the skateboarding and game modding communities. All this while exploring topics of creative appropriation, accessibility and urban (in)hospitality in the public space.
Creative Commodities
Creative Commodities - Creative Commodities is an ongoing artistic project exploring creative ownership in a world of endless imagery, instant inspiration and AI-assisted image-making. Taking from the vocabulary of finance and economics, during each During each iteration of the project, new source material (images, videos, audio, etc.) are generated either by participants or the artist, resulting in Commodities, that are then transformed into new works, or Derivatives. This process prompts reflection on authorship, creative appropriation and copyrights.
AI in the Hood - Developed and facilitated two set of workshops with the premise of understanding the potential implications and applications of creative AI tools (image generation and text based) for citizen engagement in city making efforts. The first workshop took a more DIY approach to AI for city-making using off the box tools readily available online. As a first step, we were invited to reflect critically on AI-generated scenarios, written by Chat-GPT, for the future of Eindhoven. Next, they wrote their own stories about how they wanted the city to develop and translated them into prompts for NightCafé. With the tool they created visual scenarios for Eindhoven, altering real-life pictures of the city according to the prompts. For the second workshop, we collaborated with UrbanistAI and combined their tool with Humankind's GPSA (Good Public Space Analysis) developed internally by Marta Nosowicz. This time, participants were guided from an analysis of the public space, using a space assessment exercise, to co-imagination moment where the ongoing discussions are translated into images using UrbanistAI's technology. The final produced visuals can stir debate about potential futures in the public space in question.

"Extended Worlds" / XR Camp

Datum:
Locatie: Zagreb Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU)
In samenwerking met: Hugo Pilate, KONTEJNER, Realities in Transition

Workshop & group exhibition during KONTEJNER's XR Camp. 'Extended Worlds' brings immersive artistic experiences that open new realms to us but also anchor us in our reality, making us aware of the advantages and risks of this technology and emphasizing the need for its responsible and ethical use.

https://www.kontejner.org/projekti/realities-in-transition-xr-camp/xr-camp-prosireni-svjetovi/

WIP Festival

Datum:
Locatie: WIP Festival
In samenwerking met: Hugo Pilate

WIP (Work in Progress) Festival is an ever-evolving series of activities and exhibitions focused on arts & technology synergies. Organized by CYENS Center of Excellence together with esteemed collaborators, the festival is breaking new ground in the east Mediterranean, aiming to become an annual reference point for scientists and creatives experimenting at the intersection of Arts, Science and Technology.

https://2023wip.cyens.org.cy/exhibition/gamification-of-life/what-a-mess/

'On Repetition' Group Exhibition

Datum:
Locatie: Garage Rotterdam
In samenwerking met: Mesh Print Club

Part of the group exhibition “On Repetition” at Garage. Presented the second iteration of the project Creative Commodities with support of CBK Rotterdam.

https://pedrogilfarias.com/creative-commodities/

AI in the Hood

Datum:
Locatie: De Buut
In samenwerking met: Baltan Laboratories, Humankind & UrbanistAI

AI in the Hood is a project to creatively engage residents in their neighborhood using artificial intelligence (AI) and art. In a 2-hour session, participants will be introduced to AI tools and use them to spark their imagination about their neighborhood needs and desires.

https://www.baltanlaboratories.org/events/ai-in-the-hood

‘In the process of Making’ Group exhibition

Datum:
Locatie: Treehouse NDSM

For this exhibition on opening up the creative process, I created 'Creative Commodities': an interactive installation and workshop series exploring creative ownership. Visitors are invited to use magazine cut-outs to feed a computer script tasked with generating an almost infinite number of collages that combine two of the visitors' scans.

https://creativecommodities.xyz

Resident @ V2_Lab for Unstable Media

Datum:
Locatie: V2_Lab for Unstable Media
In samenwerking met: V2_

2-month residency part of the Realities in Transition program with a project co-produced with Hugo Pilate, exploring the use of photogrammetry in an accessible way to capture and think about city making and the public space.

https://v2.nl/pages/realities-in-transition

Layered Realities (Group Exhibition)

Datum:
Locatie: Huid van de Fotografie
In samenwerking met: Mesh Print Club, Huis van de Fotografie

As (de)conceptualize co-organized and participated in a group exhibition with members of the Mesh Print Club showcasing photo-based screenprinted work.

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