MAX MESIATS - ulyanovsk

ULYANOVSK ROUTING

Digital Printing. 2021

In Ulyanovsk. Routing, Max Mesiats highlights the fragile interaction between different meta-universes that increasingly shape our lives today. The physical world is actively supplemented by online maps, navigators, and various digital assistants. The project was developed during a six-day residency in Ulyanovsk.

The interconnection of these universes became the starting point of the artist's reflection. During the first three days, Mesiats explored the city through the recommendations of local residents, photographing with a Zenit film camera. During the final three days, he distanced himself as much as possible from this "natural" mode of exploration and instead trusted an online navigator, randomly selecting destinations on the map. He further delegated his role as a photographic explorer to Google's AI-powered camera, which independently chose scenes it considered worth photographing and captured the images itself.

The result of this research was two public routes published through online maps, allowing anyone to follow and experience the city through these different modes of navigation.

By maximizing the gap between these two approaches to exploring the city, the artist raises an obvious yet increasingly urgent question about the integration of technology into everyday life and its impact on our experience of reality. Which of these images can be considered truly documentary? What is the role of technology in contemporary photography, and does photography still need a human author? Is documentary photography "dead," or has it simply shifted into an expanded domain? And most importantly: what photograph will you encounter on the map when planning your next trip? Are you certain that place even exists?

Blue pins - Google AI, Red pins - 35mm film photos

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