Demon Rhythm

Demon Rhythm is a collection of 1000 images which have been stolen from users on Instagram and replicated by the artist.

This project began in 2022 from an experience in which Micah Rustichelli had images of their work taken and used to train an ai image generator to replicate their work. Initially created as a cheeky reaction to the experience of having their images stolen, the work has evolved to question the value of images, and our ownership of them, in an era of seemingly endless image sharing. In an attempt to quantify human labour against artificial input, Micah placed themselves in the role of a human image generator, processing these images through the medium of paint.

The selected images were curated by Micah based on their organic interactions with content on the Instagram app, in turn training the algorithm on what content engages them, and so the cycle goes.

This relatively small dataset offers a unique peek into the depth of scrolling image feeds, the mass of content that is consumed by a person over the course of time and, perhaps, how these images could inform, challenge or alter the consumer’s worldview.

PART OF MELT FESTIVAL