Etienne Dietzel

Etienne Dietzel, born in Thüringen (Germany), studied sculpture at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle.

In his work, he combines scientific discourses with essential aspects of technical image production. He works interdisciplinary and utilizes various media such as photography, 3D graphics, or (so-called) artificial intelligence.

About the project

In “Momo,” published in 1973, Michael Ende introduces the imaginative character Gigi Tour Guide, who invents the narrative of Marxentius Communus: Disliking the state of the world and its inhabitants, the tyrannical ruler orders the construction of a globe representing the Earth on a 1:1 scale, without neglecting even the smallest detail. For the implementation of the project, all global resources are consumed, leaving nothing but a representation of the original Earth…

Aligned with the thought experiment contained in Gigi’s narrative regarding the relationship between reality and its model-like representation, Etienne Dietzel, as part of Fresh A.I.R., examines the visual space of hyperrealistic 3D graphics from computer games.
The particular focus is on the concept of assets, denoting the totality of all elements available as resources for building a game. Many of these building blocks are 3D scans of real existing spaces and objects or digital reconstructions with corresponding photo textures. Although most of these objects lack more complex physics simulations and have no interactive utility value, they fill the sparse abstraction of mathematical space with the familiarity of real signs.

When constructing his own interactive environment in a game engine, Etienne Dietzel explores the peculiarities of such virtual parallel worlds. For this purpose, he collects his own assets as model-like components of reality and integrates them into a loose narrative that tells of its own, completely determined space for action.

Photos: Provided by Etienne Dietzel