REPLICATIO
Marco Conti Šikić
REPLICATIO is an ongoing artwork exploring the intersection of human gesture, artificial intelligence, and mechanical reproduction. It unfolds in two interconnected phases: the first completed, the second in development. Together, they explore how meaning emerges not from a single image, but through systems of variation, transformation, and distributed authorship.
The first phase began with a digital hand-drawn portrait by the artist, conceived not as a finished work but as a point of departure. Over 17 days, 4 pen plotters guided by a custom AI produced a new version daily. Rather than replicating the original, the machines reinterpreted it through subtle shifts, distortions, and material conditions like ink flow and paper tension.
The result was 17 unique drawings shaped by algorithmic logic and mechanical behavior, a new and original visual narrative. This became a meditation on time, difference, and the fragility of reproduction, embodying protocolism where artworks emerge from defined systems of interaction. In REPLICATIO, the digital becomes the original, and the physical drawings act as variations or echoes. Authorship is shared among human, algorithmic, and mechanical agents.
The second phase unfolds as a live, interactive installation. The artist initiates the process with a digital drawing interpreted by four plotters, each introducing subtle variation. Visitors contribute by typing texts on a typewriter or old keyboard, which become prompts for new plotter-generated svg drawings. Each input produces four unique outputs—one gifted to the participant, others archived within the exhibition. Over time, this growing archive documents public engagement, algorithmic transformation, and mechanical inscription.
Project Collaborators:
Independent Creation, Prestigious Exhibition. REPLICATIO stands as a testament to artistic autonomy—entirely self-financed and independently produced from concept to execution. The installation has earned recognition through Artmeta's invitation to feature at The Digital Art Mile during Basel 2025, where it will be showcased within the curated Paintboxed Exhibition at Space25 gallery. This prestigious platform offers a conceptually resonant setting, as the installation will interface with an original Paintbox machine—a pioneering digital art tool now repurposed as the input device for REPLICATIO's protocol creation process. This thoughtful integration connects contemporary algorithmic art-making with its technological predecessors, creating a dialogue across generations of digital creation.
