Credits: Sienna O'Rourke, Planet Fantastique

Retrofuturism is a long-established movement that is progressively re-taking the stage of the global modality of visual expression, influencing luxury design as well. Belonging to the field of creative arts, it’s aim resides in showing the influence of depictions of the future produced during an earlier period. Retrofuturism queries the tension between past and future era, investigating the potent and compelling effects of technology on human life.

Credits: Sienna O'Rourke, Planet Fantastique

In parallel, the AI movement is stretching the boundaries of the global underground creativity, disrupting the conception of how art is made. Working with computer programmes that can mimic the human mind in order to create artworks, AI is joining forces together with the Retrofuturism movement. What it is thought-provoking is the reason why this combination was born and is solidifying.

Credits: Sienna O'Rourke, Planet Fantastique

Planet Fantastique, by Sienna O’Rourke, is an AI project exploring “imagined spaces, places and people in a world that could have been.” Discussing sci-fi and Retrofuturism imagery, she said:

“I grew up loving cinema and especially sci-fi and while the visuals are usually quite masculine and dark, the storylines are amazing. I love to be able to bring a sense of visual beauty and feminine energy to this genre. Going deeper my work explores the themes of Utopia - in the post war era the notion of a utopian future dominated pop culture, think the Jetsons, Star Trek etc.. fantastic technological advancements that fit around our everyday lives”, adding: “We are living in the age that a lot of these pieces reference, but our society is far from utopian. We have seen plenty of amazing advancements but very few have that magical quality captured in retro futurism. With the advent of AI capabilities we are starting to see a window into a wide open world of possibility, and that is why I use this medium to communicate these stories.”

The melting between these two powerful realms seems to be sparked by humans’ insatiable craving for living dream-like perspectives while employing its most forward-looking tools.

Credits: Sienna O'Rourke, Planet Fantastique