Unplugged

Unplugged was ha:ar’s most recent solo exhibition in Ankara, presented at Galeri Siyah Beyaz. The exhibition extended ha:ar’s ongoing investigation into the relationship between the human body, technology, ritual, history and image culture, placing generative systems at the centre of the artistic process.

At its core was a generative AI system developed by ha:ar. The system was trained with writings and ideas from leading sociologists, economists, philosophers, social theorists and other major thinkers, creating a conceptual engine shaped by political, social, cultural and philosophical thought. In parallel, the system was taught specific historical modes of production, including mosaic, stained glass, wood sculpture, ceramics and other traditional artistic techniques.

Through this structure, Unplugged imagined how historical forms of making might respond to the conditions of the present. The system continuously reinterpreted traditional production methods through contemporary realities, producing new works in real time. These works were presented on screens within the exhibition, accompanied by visual and audio narration, as if the viewer were moving through a speculative museum of future artefacts.

Some works generated by the system were selected by ha:ar and physically produced as sculptural or material objects. In this way, Unplugged moved between real-time artificial intelligence, museum display, historical craft and physical production, questioning what remains of human culture when technology begins not only to preserve history, but to reinterpret and remake it.