AI Art experience
What excites me most about integrating AI into art is its transformative potential to reshape narratives, particularly for marginalized communities that have historically been excluded or misrepresented. AI offers us the opportunity to hack and subvert the technology, confronting and dismantling its colonialist and racist biases. By leveraging AI in our creative processes, we can reclaim these narratives, giving voice and visibility to those who have been silenced or stereotyped. At mobCONTENT, our mission is to produce content with a deep cultural and social impact, and AI becomes a powerful tool to amplify these stories in new and innovative ways. It's not just about using cutting-edge technology; it's about using it to challenge and rethink how stories are told, ensuring that underrepresented voices are at the forefront of this digital evolution.
Personal experience
My personal experiences, along with my past interactive projects like Baquaqua - Journey Towards Freedom and Griô, have profoundly shaped how I approach AI art. These projects, which focused on reclaiming narratives from the African diaspora and giving voice to marginalized communities, taught me the power of storytelling as a tool for cultural and social transformation. In Baquaqua, we explored the story of an enslaved African man who fought for his freedom, while Griô delved into the oral traditions that preserve African and Afro-Brazilian history. These works laid the foundation for my current AI-based art, which continues to challenge colonialist perspectives and biases. By using AI, I aim to take these ideas even further, hacking the inherent biases of the technology to create new spaces where marginalized voices can be heard and celebrated. My goal is to reinterpret historical figures and moments, ensuring they are depicted with dignity and strength. AI allows me to explore new creative possibilities while staying grounded in the cultural and social themes that have always driven my work.
Unexpected thought
One of the most unexpected realizations from working with AI in art is how much the technology can mirror, and at times magnify, the biases embedded in our society. Initially, I saw AI as a neutral tool, but as I began creating, it became clear that many of the algorithms carry the same colonialist and exclusionary perspectives that have historically shaped visual culture. This discovery led me to a deeper understanding of how AI, while innovative, can also perpetuate harmful stereotypes if not critically engaged with. It pushed me to think more about my role as an artist in not just using AI but actively hacking it—reclaiming and redefining its outputs to counteract those biases. Through this process, I’ve come to see AI not just as a tool, but as a space for resistance and transformation, where we can disrupt traditional power structures and create new narratives that empower marginalized communities.
Description
This piece is a reinterpretation of Anastácia, often depicted as a symbol of resistance, beauty, and suffering. Historically, her image is linked to the use of the "Flanders mask," a cruel instrument of torture used during the colonial period, especially on enslaved people. The Flanders mask was an iron device commonly placed over the face, covering the mouth, and it served as a tool for extreme dehumanization and silencing. It prevented the person from speaking or eating properly, and its use inflicted profound physical and psychological suffering, becoming a brutal emblem of repression. In this ultrarealistic re-creation, however, the mask is replaced with golden adornments, and Anastácia is depicted in a subversive way, challenging her traditional representation as a silenced victim. Instead of being muted by the instrument of oppression, she provocatively displays her tongue in a gesture of mockery, sensuality, and pride. Her jewelry and adornments highlight her regal and divine presence, transforming the symbol of oppression into a celebration of power, strength, and autonomy. The artwork invites viewers to reflect on the contrast between the historical legacy of slavery and the reclamation of Anastácia's image as an icon of resistance and empowerment. By subverting the Flanders mask, the piece turns the imposition of silence into a powerful statement of freedom and defiance.
Process
This artwork is part of a larger project called the Museu da Memória Negra em IA (Museum of Black Memory in AI), which seeks to reinterpret Brazil's slave-holding past by portraying the martyrs of that era in positions of dignity and empowerment. The goal is to reclaim their narratives and give them the strength, pride, and defiance that history has often denied them. Through AI-generated art, we aim to bring forth a new perspective on these historical figures, celebrating their resilience and highlighting the power they held, even in the face of immense oppression. Each piece in this project transforms symbols of suffering into powerful statements of autonomy and pride.
Tools
For this piece, I used MidJourney, an AI tool that allows for creative exploration through text-based prompts. The process began with a historical reference to the well-known painting of Anastácia, and from there, I crafted a series of successive prompts to reinterpret her image in a modern, subversive way. Each prompt was carefully refined to capture the essence of Anastácia's defiance and power, ultimately creating this striking, ultrarealistic depiction. The iterative nature of the AI process allowed for a continuous evolution of the artwork, blending historical context with contemporary artistic vision. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Jacques_Etienne_Arago_-_Castigo_de_Escravos%2C_1839.jpg
Marcos Ferreira’s AI reimagining of Anastácia brings to life a figure with a profound place in Brazilian folklore and Black cultural memory. Known as ‘The Enslaved Saint,’ Anastácia has long represented both suffering and resilience, embodying the strength of those forced into unimaginable conditions. She is not just a historical figure; she’s a symbol deeply cherished by many Brazilians, celebrated as a healer, a protector, and a quiet force of courage among enslaved communities. Ferreira’s portrayal of her—free of the brutal ‘Flanders mask,’ a metal face restraint once forced upon her as a slave—feels like an emotional release. Instead of iron and oppression, she wears regal golden adornments, reclaiming her image as one of beauty, power, and dignity.
What touched me most about this piece was how Marcos captures her defiance with just a look and a subtle but powerful gesture. Anastácia is no longer silent; instead, she sticks her tongue out, a small act that says so much. It’s as though she is mocking the forces that tried to erase her voice and spirit. In that moment, she transforms into a modern feminist icon, a figure who refuses to be defined by her suffering alone. Her image feels alive, bridging past and present, reminding us of the incredible resilience within Black Brazilian culture.
Marcos’s work doesn’t just reinterpret a symbol; it invites us to see Anastácia as a protector and rebel, someone whose legacy continues to inspire and touch hearts, transcending time and history.
