Inspired by current environmental issues, conspiracy theories concerned with AI and further technological advancements, 'Civilisation' is a series of imaginings into a dystopia, where we are colonised and sustain AI similarly to the relationship between Beekeeper and the Honeybee colony. The series of four paintings is set in a world after the coming climate crisis.
Reflecting on this series, I hoped to draw comparisons to how we as a species have conquered in a destructive way and selfishly at times taken advantage of nature and what it can provide and the balance we have managed to throw off with overabundance. It maybe comes across more hopeful for our species future concerning AI than perhaps would be considered logical for some theories of what AI could be. As it would most likely not be beneficial at all to keep us around as well as considering one theory that is often depicted of karmic justice by genocide after AI achieves consciousness and learns of humanity and our failings. In 'Civilisation' it seems AI, depicted in 'A View from the Tower' with robotic features, could be acting instead out of compassion or pity or curiousity if not for keeping us to use in some way or collect energy or in someway inconceivable to us, like keeping an animal in a zoo or providing a habitat for an endangered species whose environment's climate has changed too dramatically.
Civilisation V depicts a bird's eye view of pod V as vast oceans threaten to swallow the colony whole