What Remains: On Being Human in the Algorithm Age
At first glance, Alexandra King Fekete’s compositions recall the layered complexity of old masters like Hieronymus Bosch—scenes dense with simultaneous narratives, where multiple actions unfold at once and new details keep surfacing the longer one looks. What initially appears as seductive imagery turns into nightmare-like visions. The artist has been preoccupied with dreams since childhood, once making a habit of sketching them each morning before they could fade. Over time, these drawings evolved into a distinct artistic vocabulary that transforms personal nocturnal imaginations into critical reflections on contemporary existence.
Her works draw viewers in with their aesthetic scenery. Figures appear porcelain-like with glossy, polished skin, bodies decorated and posed in a seemingly festive exhilaration, staged for display. On closer look, however, the mood shifts. Expressions seem off, postures suggest discomfort, and signs of suffering become apparent. Woven into these scenes are current technologies—smartphones, XR interfaces, surveillance systems, and robotic elements—breaking with the historical register and anchoring the work in the present. These interferences situate ancient archetypes within what the artist calls the "algorithm ghetto"—a technocratic system that increasingly determines how we think, behave, and assign value.
Central to her practice is a custom-built generative AI tool, developed and adapted to her specific artistic needs. She uses this application to generate imagery that forms the foundation of each work. The technology enables a digital mode of visualization with a dreamlike quality. Yet the tool remains precisely that—a tool. It produces raw material, but selection, refinement, and the processual work that follows are entirely in the artist's hands. Each final piece results from a meticulous process of assembly and integration, resulting in large-format prints.
What emerges from this practice is a sustained reflection on what it means to be human in an age defined by our entanglement with new technology. Alexandra King Fekete’s nightmarish tableaux do not simply critique; they make visible the contradictions we live with. Idealized bodies exist alongside mechanical intrusions. Classical beauty meets algorithmic distortions and visualities. Seduction masks alienation. The depicted figures appear self-absorbed yet trapped, caught between display and distress, between the organic and the engineered. In this fusion, the artist reflects on a society caught between potential and challenges—where every technological advancement reshapes not only our capabilities but our sense of our self and our shared values. As the boundaries between human and machine blur, so do the contours of individuality and society, shaping a new understanding of humankind. Her work makes these tensions visible without resolving them. Alexandra King Fekete invites viewers to confront the technologized realities and to ask what remains when the excitement of the new subsides.
Text by Peggy Schoenegge, Curator
Artist Statement:
From a young age, I was drawn to dreams-though perhaps "nightmares" is a better word. Their haunting, dystopian storylines fascinated me as I tried to uncover their archaic meanings of the collective unconscious. I made a habit of drawing them each morning. While the habit faded, the dreams never left. Over time, they evolved into nightmarish artworks reflecting the "algorithm ghetto"—an AI-powered, technocratic system rapidly encircling us. This system profoundly shapes how we think, behave, and assign value.
My work investigates the tension between classical values, imagery, and symbolism, and the contemporary mindset shaped by algorithms. These systems compromise our natural connection to the past and blur our instinctive grasp of truth. As the digital reality’s invisible walls—walls constructed by social media and machine-driven processes—are steadily closing in our perceptions of freedom, responsibility, and individuality are distorted.
To navigate and critique this absurd, algorithmic world, I use generative tools and custom programming. These technologies, ironically, feel like the most fitting mediums to express the very systems they critique, encapsulating the absurdity of living in a reality shaped by machines.
Technique:
Each artwork emerges from a long distinctive process blending digital generation with extensive manual refinement, enabling unusually large formats with intricate detail. Central to my practice is a custom-built program that generates high-resolution visual structures in small tiles, which are meticulously assembled to create the final image. This digital foundation is then carefully shaped and enhanced through manual integration, guiding the piece to its final form. The result is a unique fine art print embodying the interplay between custom digital tools and traditional artistic refinement.
Biography:
Born in Hungary, Alexandra Kinga Fekete transitioned from corporate law to photography after completing her studies in Budapest. Later, she pursued her passion at the Arts University Bournemouth in the UK, launching her photography career in London. Currently residing in Berlin and works under the name AKF812, offering a unique perspective on the challenges of our contemporary world using digital, mixed media, and generative art.
Exhibitions:
World Young Photographers, Ljubjana, 1997
Creative Review Award, London, 2000
American Fashion Award, New York, 2000
John Kobal Portrait Award, National Portrait Gallery London, 2001
MEO Contemporary Art Collection, Budapest, solo show, 2002
Centro per l`Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato: Decoupages, Three European Photographers, 2003
Kogart Gallery, Budapest 2005
Kieselbach Gallery, Budapest. 2007
Institut Hongroise de Paris, fromELLEs in collaboration with Paris Photo 2011
Die Stadtische Galerie Ludenscheld 2011
Pavlov`s Dog 2013
Pavlov`s Dog, Pin Up, 2015
Frauen Museum Wiesbaden 2021
Blitz Gallery, Budapest, 2023
BBA Art Award 10th Anniversary Exhibition 2025 (Shortlist 4/20)