SUMMARY
Belarusian political exile Sasha Velichko employs staged photography and AI-generated visuals in her project 'State of Denial' to expose the hidden violence of her home country's dictatorship. The work juxtaposes staged images with AI-generated visuals derived from state media headlines from the day of specific incidents, illustrating how ordinary acts are criminalized and how propaganda creates informational noise to conceal repression. Velichko, with a background in radiophysics, uses analytical methods to mirror the mechanisms of digital media and its ability to distract from uncomfortable truths. Her art aims to guide viewers past the spectacle of surface noise to confront the routine acts of oppression.
TAKEAWAYS
Sasha Velichko uses staged photography and AI visuals to document violence in Belarus.
Her work contrasts staged images with AI-generated media from state propaganda.
The project highlights how ordinary acts are criminalized and repression is concealed.
Velichko's approach uses analytical methods to reflect digital media's distractions.