As long as you need a camera to play the photography game, it’s not necessarily a must-have in the post-photography world. It’s not that you don’t take pictures at all, exactly opposite; you do take them, but with a variety of different means. Until recently, traditional photography was viewed as a medium of truth, sort of documentation of the unfolding reality. Once the authentication-of-reality function has fallen, and that’s what has happened with the birth of the Internet, it’s pretty much up to the viewer to decide what they believe in. Context is king. In other words, is not the image itself that matters most but the value we ascribe to it.

Rather than abandoning picture-taking altogether, post-photography explores alternative methods of image creation. Departing from traditional photographic practices, it encourages experimentation and innovation within the digital landscape. This evolving field pushes the boundaries of photographic expression, especially with the advent of generative AI. The era of post-photography has arrived big time, marking a significant shift in how we perceive and engage with visual imagery. It’s official!

Exploring the profound shifts in the visual landscape alongside a talented artist like Andrea Ciulu is perhaps the most effective way to comprehend the concept of “post-photography”. Get yourself comfy enough, take a seat, first row, or side window not to miss anything and enjoy the tour out “On the Streets”.

Andrea Ciulu, On The Streets / source: Instagram

“Most of the pieces in “On These Streets” are strangely quiet, but there is one that if fuming and furious: “On These Streets #19.

What makes this piece stand out is the combination of an all-consuming mist and flying debris, giving the feeling of a dematerializing reality. As a kid from the 80s, it reminds me of The Nothing from The Neverending Story. If you grew up in an urban periphery, you know what The Nothing feels like. But the piece also has an interesting geometric depth, and most importantly the contrasting image of the kid, his energy opposing the disgregation around him…

Emotional impact is very important for me when curating my images, so #19 for me was a no brainer.”

source: X

“About looking twice… there is a piece in the collection that looks quite normie but has wild details. It’s “On These Streets #68”.

Look closely, and at the center of the picture, where the wall becomes a sidewalk, you can see a couple kissing. Quite unique in the series…… but look even closer and you will find another one in the shadows. Quite a romantic piece tbh.

Look even closer and you will spot a third one reflected in the window. Another gem – because I love realistic-looking hallucinations – is the halved car. And then of course the strange rendering of the city, that becomes some kind of trompe l’oeil.

Often my goal is to drive the AI to hallucinate, so I was pretty satisfied with this otherwise “classical” cityscape.”

source: X

“#86 represents a breakthrough within the series. It’s the first of the night pieces, where I found a way to “evoke” neon lights. A strong (and pretty unusual for the series) base pattern led me to this glorious display of lights. While I usually don’t do much post production, in this case I edited out an odd kid running in the wrong direction, since the overall movement was too powerful to be messed up. I think it was worth it. The neons are both graphic and abstract at the same time. It’s like the whole city got energized. Even though the lights might look like a graphic overlay, the way they get reflected by the cars make them a part of the scene. Overall, this feels like a good symbol of the whole series, making the kids’ energy visible.”

source: X

Who is the man behind this amazing project? Born in Rome during the 1980s, Andrea Ciulu has spent the past two decades immersed in the creative industries. His background spans writing and visual artistry. Continuously, his artistic endeavors delve into the boundaries of memory and our perception of reality. This exploration is facilitated through the utilization of technology and its inherent limitations, blending the familiar with the eerie, nostalgia with perplexity.

“In “On These Streets,” Andrea Ciulu embarks on a nuanced exploration of memory, particularly focusing on the intriguing concept of artificial memories—those vivid, imagined experiences that, despite never having been lived, resonate deeply as if they were one’s own…”

source: Daily

To dvelve deeper into the On The Streets series, please visit the Daily, where Andrea is showcasing his artwork. If you are also interested in more stories behind individual pieces of the series follow Andrea’s X (ex-Twitter) account. There’s plenty of great stuff he is sharing with his followers.