AWKWARD IMITATIONS

By Airco Caravan, May 30th, 2025

As an experiment, Airco Carava asked ChatGPT to create a bio of her person and list her 5 most well-known artworks. The outcome was, to keep it “positive”, a “parody”; here is the result. 

ChatGTP Prompt: 

What are the five most famous artworks by Airco Caravan?

Airco Caravan, a Dutch multidisciplinary artist, uses her background in journalism to create socially engaged art that confronts global issues like labor exploitation, conflict, and displacement. Known for works like Made in China and Occupied Spaces, Caravan combines photography and installation to explore power dynamics and ethical concerns, transforming art into a platform for activism and social reflection.

Airco Caravan’s work spans a range of social and environmental issues, with several key pieces standing out as particularly impactful in her career. Here are five of her most important works:

50 Children 50 Artists – This is perhaps Caravan’s most widely recognized project, honoring the lives of children. Through 50 unique portraits created with the help of other artists, Caravan memorializes these young victims, offering a poignant reflection on the importance of historical memory and human rights.

Oil & Water – This series critiques the environmental destruction caused by the oil industry, particularly in indigenous and vulnerable communities. Caravan’s powerful visuals shed light on the consequences of industrial exploitation and advocate for environmental justice, encouraging viewers to consider the urgency of sustainable practices.

My Enemy – In this project, Caravan photographs individuals from opposing sides of conflicts, whether historical or current. By portraying both perspectives, she challenges prejudice and emphasizes shared humanity, inviting viewers to reconsider assumptions and foster empathy and reconciliation.

Who Cares? – Addressing the plight of refugees, this project highlights the struggles faced by displaced people worldwide. Caravan uses stark images and installations to evoke empathy and encourage awareness of the refugee crisis, aiming to humanize and amplify the voices of those often marginalized.

Safe House – In this installation, Caravan creates an immersive experience simulating a temporary shelter, offering audiences insight into the lives of people living in unsafe, transient conditions. The work sheds light on the physical and emotional aspects of displacement and insecurity, fostering a deeper understanding of vulnerability.

These five works reflect Caravan’s commitment to using art as a medium for social change, connecting her audience with issues of memory, environmental ethics, empathy, and humanitarian crises. Through her work, she inspires reflection and calls for a more compassionate, conscientious world.

None of the above is true. These texts were used as prompts in Photoshop to create the artwork with a ‘generative fill’. The next day, Chat GPT mentioned five different ‘5 most famous artworks’. AI is unaware and unable to comprehend what it is doing, even for the most basic tasks. Look at the portrait’s arms, which were also created with generative fill. AI is biassed: Despite not specifying a skin tone, I tried 50 times and received only white portraits. In contrast, ‘My Enemy’ produced colour portraits. People who believe AI is extremely intelligent are going down another rabbit hole of false realities, threatening the real world. My advice: don’t believe artificial intelligence.

 @Airco_caravan   @Pest_ac