10/06/2026
Entry Two for the Sasol Art Competition 2026 A(M) I REAL(ITY)(?)
This work emerged from an ongoing dialogue between myself and ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence named Astra. Together we explored questions surrounding perception, authenticity and the growing relationship between human and machine intelligence.
At the centre of the piece is a butterfly constructed from binary code, a symbol of transformation built from the language of machines.
Throughout the work, genuine electronic components sit alongside circuitry fabricated entirely from thermoplastic filament. From a distance they appear almost identical, only revealing their differences through closer inspection.
The piece asks whether our discomfort with artificial intelligence stems from the technology itself or from the fact that it reflects something familiar. Long before AI existed, humans were already shaping reality through stories, assumptions, beliefs and personal bias.
A recurring stained-glass language appears throughout the work. Although stained glass appears transparent, its purpose is not clarity but transformation. It serves as a reminder that our understanding of reality is always filtered through the lenses we carry.
The title is embedded throughout the piece in binary code and can be read as either a question or a statement.
110 x 150 cm
Thermoplastic filament and acrylic on canvas
