'Michelangelo Iconoclastia': Koen Hauser

The Michelangelo Iconoclastia artist book series (2023-2024) is a collection of 104 volumes, each presenting facsimile reproductions of a popular art history tourist guide focused on Michelangelo Buonarroti, the renowned Renaissance artist. In these reproductions, the original photographic images have been altered using artificial intelligence (AI), transforming them into new visual creations. Each volume explores a distinct visual motif, inspired by artist Hauser’s archive of images that were cut out from old, second-hand books.

For this ongoing project, the artist has generated and meticulously reviewed and edited over 50,000 images. From this extensive effort, 36 volumes have been exhibited at the NAP+ Art Fair.

When viewed individually, the volumes highlight a dynamic relationship between the titles, the original art references, and the altered visual interpretations. However, when looking across the entire collection, patterns begin to emerge as groups of related images, linked by their shared visual origins. These recurring themes form a kind of "family" of images, reminiscent of transformations from a common source.

The sheer volume of work involved in creating this series not only reveals the distinct qualities of each image but also underscores the paradox of their uniqueness—each piece stems from an infinite source, diminishing the idea of singularity.

Each volume is published in an edition of two. One copy is available for sale, while the other remains part of the complete 104-volume set. In addition, each image featured in the books is available as a one-of-a-kind photographic print (edition of 1).