Screen Tests is a series of black and white video portraits generated by artificial intelligence. Each portrait features a human figure posing alongside a living, hairy organic creature, with which it appears to merge, suggesting a gesture of almost symbiotic intimacy.
The bond between the human and the unidentified being does not appear disturbing, but rather one of harmony and affection, reminiscent of the relationship between a person and a beloved pet. Unease arises in the details: digital distortions, subtle bodily movements that seem strikingly realistic. Then, an extra finger appears, a limb twists unnaturally, or the figure morphs into a new hybrid entity.
The portraits are set in a neutral space, evoking the aesthetic of photographic studios typically used for auditions. This impersonal, functional backdrop enhances the performative nature of the images. The title Screen Tests draws from the language of cinema, it refers to the cinematic casting process, where an actor’s screen presence is evaluated for a specific role. It also recalls Andy Warhol’s iconic Screen Tests, in which the artist turned his subjects into “superstars”, figures compelling enough to hold the viewer’s gaze not for what they perform, but for what they reveal by simply being in front of the camera.