BEYOND TIME: From Memory to Machine, 2025
On the occasion of Art Dubai 2025, within the Digital section curated by Gonzalo Herrero Delicado under the title “After the Technological Sublime”, Andrea Crespi presents an exclusive selection of new works that mark a pivotal moment in his ongoing artistic exploration, in line with the recurring themes of his research and experimentation.
At the heart of this exhibition lies an exploration of identity across past, present, and future—a continuously evolving dialogue between humanity, technology, and tradition. Through his unmistakable black-and-white contrast, the artist bridges eras and materials, weaving a narrative in which past and future converge on a continuous canvas.
The four humanoid canvases—imagined as covers of the most iconic magazines of our time, including Vogue, Forbes, Time, and Complex—offer a bold and provocative vision: a future in which robots and humanoids have replaced humans as society’s icons. No longer human faces, but synthetic ones dominate the front pages, reflecting our growing obsession with technology, artificial intelligence, and the inevitable question: are we paving the road to our own obsolescence? These works embody the artist’s futuristic vision, inviting us to reconsider fame, power, and cultural relevance in a world governed by AI.
A standout work in the collection, AIDA, marks a daring step forward in Andrea Crespi’s artistic journey. This hybrid digital-physical piece is integrated with an advanced smart lighting system that allows viewers to interact directly with the artwork, adjusting the brightness to personalize the visual experience. The subject reacts dynamically to the backlighting, generating captivating chromatic variations based on the selected light level. It is Crespi’s first interactive creation blending art and technology, signaling a new direction in his practice and offering a fully immersive, user-responsive experience.
Anchoring this futuristic narrative is a monumental portrait of an Arabian horse, enriched with real desert sand. A timeless symbol of power, freedom, and endurance, the horse is deeply rooted in Middle Eastern cultural heritage. Its presence serves as a reminder that—even in a world increasingly dominated by machines—our history and traditions remain essential points of reference.
Completing the story are two sculptures of the head of Aphrodite—one in bronze and the other in white resin. These works deepen the exhibition’s central theme of contrast: the bronze, an ancient material, evokes the permanence of classical beauty; the resin, light and modern, reflects the ephemeral and ever-shifting nature of contemporary creation. Together, they embody a dialogue between permanence and impermanence, the physical and the digital.
Through this fusion of digital and physical mediums, of past and future, the artist invites us to reflect:
- Which aspects of our identity endure in the face of unstoppable innovation?
- How can we reconcile tradition with the rise of technology?
- Will the future we build still honor the timeless beauty of our past?
This collection offers not only a visual experience, but a true philosophical journey—a mirror of our time that challenges us to consider who we were, who we are, and who (or what) we are becoming.
