POST

SANDER COERS

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POST explores the intersection of constructed memories and perceptions of masculinity in visual culture through the use of AI-generated imagery. With this project the artist investigates the role of photography in shaping our perceptions of the past and questions its authenticity in the age of digitalism where memories can be constructed and manipulated.

Sander Coers | POST series

“As a child, I spent hours immersed in my grandparents’ photo albums, fascinated by the details in each picture. I longed to connect with the people captured in those images and to have a glimpse into the past of my grandfather. In those albums, I discovered a part of my heritage tied to my grandfather’s birth in Indonesia during World War II. But there was a silence surrounding the past, making it difficult to grasp the full story.

To bridge that gap, I decided to train an AI bot to expand my family history based on my grandparents’ photo albums ranging from the 1940’s to the 90’s. These AI-generated images evoke similar elements found in my grandparents’ albums – landscapes, clothing, and colours from that time. However, everything is completely false. Combining the visual style of my grandparents’ albums with its vast database, the AI bot comes up with a dark-skinned man running through a field of flowers, located in what seems to be the Alps – an image that is not necessarily rooted in our visual memory. It’s interesting to see how the bot makes room for a new narrative.

The link between the concept of memory and masculinity in this project is multifaceted. On the one hand, memory plays a significant role in shaping our perceptions of masculinity over time. By looking at the recurring symbols in the AI-generated images, such as suits, belts, and hats, we can see how these have been used as stereotypical visual markers of masculinity through different eras. On the other hand, the project also explores the idea that memory itself, like masculinity, is a construct. Something that can be manipulated and fabricated. This raises questions about the authenticity of our memories, and how our perceptions of masculinity might be shaped by constructed memories rather than actual experiences.” — Sander Coers, 2023

The images are UV-printed on plywood, often used in construction – a stereotypical masculine environment. By printing the images on this material, I create a physical representation of the constructed memories that we hold onto. The images become tangible objects that reflect the fragility of our memories and the impact they have on our present.

POST was first presented at the Springboard Art Fair in Utrecht in June 2023 and has since been exhibited at Unseen art fair, Amsterdam, PhMuseum in Bologna, Vogue: What is Beauty, in Milan, and Preus Museum in Oslo. POST received the Judge’s Pick at the OD Photo Prize 2023 and was selected by Foam Amsterdam for the Foam Talent programme 2024-2025.

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