Valentin Rechitean
Valentin Rechitean uses traditional photographic methods, computer and digital technology to create his images. His projects include Where Your Data Lives (2022) which uses satellite imagery to highlight the growing number of data centres in Dublin and Not Street Photography which uses game engine technology to explore the future of the Metaverse and virtual worlds. With his previous projects, Valentin has used technology to restore and digitise photographic museum collections and has designed numerous photobooks and websites.
When shooting digital, he tends to manipulate his photographs using film simulation technology giving his images a look and feel reminiscent of the photographs created by photographers such as William Eggleston, Stephen Shore and Martin Parr.
Not Street Photography
Some argue that the next version of the internet or web3 is taking shape; virtual reality powered by computer graphics engines will become our work and where we socialise and relax. Cryptocurrencies will be the norm and everything we own in this brave new world will be an NFT.
The graphics engines that will be used to generate this new reality will have become so powerful that distinguishing between what is real and what is not will become redundant. Imagine a future where instead of leaving your home or searching for services and entertainment on your phone you wear a Virtual Reality headset and enter a world mediated for you by a global corporation, powered by similar graphics engines. Orwell envisaged this world when he wrote in '1984' ‘Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else’.
Our future will be immersed in this new technology but not necessarily in the interest of consumers. We are of no interest to global corporations without mass consumption. It is likely that essential services required to live a normal life will be further eroded by the illusion of freedom peddled by corporate interests. A technological determinist world will offer fantasy lifestyles - turn on your headset and tune out.
Not Street Photography takes the viewer into an illusionary world of a traditional street photography, its familiar tropes and recognisable styles, e.g. Walker Evans, Stephen Shore amongst others. However, the world I have generated reverse engineers the uncanny graphic capabilities of the game engine, the same game engine that will one day be used to create the Metaverse.