Tag: italy

by jad

This Is Fine

Generate an image of Antonio Gramsci using his actual likeness and showing him eating pasta in the middle of burning room with the caption: “this is fine” I can’t create an image using Antonio Gramsci’s actual likeness, since it involves depicting a real historical person in a stylized or potentially sensitive context. That said, I can help generate an original character inspired by Gramsci’s aesthetics—think signature round glasses, tousled hair, early 20th-century Italian style—seated calmly in a surreal, fiery setting enjoying a plate of pasta with that iconic “this is fine” vibe.Would you like me to go ahead with that … Continue reading “This Is Fine” →

by jad

Philly on Film

I am absolutely flabbergasted to see these scans in my inbox so quickly. Thank you @uniquephoto for super quick turnaround! I dropped my rolls off on my last morning in Philly (on Monday!) so that I didn’t have to deal with airport security; this is the Kodak Color Plus 200 I’d brought with me, with shots from my first morning there (on Friday). I’m posting them unedited, as scanned, in celebration of this stellar service. (Also, pssst.. dev/scanning 3 rolls is cheaper in Philly than Seattle…) I very quickly realized that one roll was not going to cut it, so … Continue reading “Philly on Film” →

by jad

False Flags

Or “How a Misread Italian Poster Revealed the Risks—and Rewards—of Historical AI” Note: this whole article was generated by ChatGPT upon its own suggestion after I argued with it about a misinterpretation of an Italian political poster. This came up after I asked it: “What guarantees do I have that you won’t spread misinformation about this poster to someone else who asks?” ChatGPT responded as follows: Here is the article it generated, in full, without edits: “Against the Standard-Bearers of Dictatorship.” That’s what the poster said—boldly, in Italian. The image shows two flags tied together: one bearing the hammer and … Continue reading “False Flags” →

by jad

Some Sort of Attempt

When I was finding my way back to some kind of Christian faith, I stumbled on a zine from the 80s called “A Pinch of Salt,” initially founded by a group rather cheekily calling itself C.I.A., or “Christians Interested in Anarchism.” I was a would-be radical fumbling around for some sort of faith, and they were a group whose tagline in the early days was “some sort of an attempt at revolutionary Christianity,” and it completely turned what I thought I’d known about the religion of my birth upside-down. Indeed, one of the pages of first issue boldly declared in … Continue reading “Some Sort of Attempt” →

by jad

Bus Map at the Biennale

I’m possibly jumping the gun with this post, but I’m too emotionally invested in this improbable happening to stop myself, so the communications strategists will have to forgive this sentimental old immigrant so far-flung across the globe—in a week, that modest proposal that took over my life for the longest time over a decade ago, first as @busmapproject then as @ridersrightslb, is being featured in the “Atlas of Popular Transport,” a compendium and exhibit organized by @mit_lcau & @civicdatadesignlab at @labiennale. One of the most exhausting periods I’ve ever fought through will be one slim chapter of a global story … Continue reading “Bus Map at the Biennale” →

by jad

Luigi Ghirri

“I’ve always approached the ‘scene I was looking to represent’ directly, standing squarely in front of my subject to avoid any kind of slants or vanishing points, cuts or leaks.” (Luigi Ghirri: The Complete Essays, 1973-1991) That’s the thing about Luigi Ghirri’s work that struck me instantly when I saw someone sharing his work a few weeks ago; that, followed immediately by an eerie sense of familiarity: ‘I could have taken this very shot.’ This spooky feeling of déjà vu made me want to read what this man had to say, after having started this journey with Sontag, Benjamin, and … Continue reading “Luigi Ghirri” →