Phantasmalithic

“By fusing human and artificial creativity, I challenge linear progress narratives and advocate for a cyclical temporality where decay and regeneration coexist.” Frederik De Wilde

 

Frederik De Wilde’s Phantasmalithic series masterfully blends human creativity with artificial intelligence, crafting a visual narrative that challenges the conventional notion of linear progress. In its place, De Wilde proposes a cyclical understanding of time, where decay and renewal are not opposing forces but intertwined elements of existence. His work invites us to reconsider history and futurity through a lens where obsolescence and emergence coexist in dynamic harmony.

In Phantasmalithic, De Wilde collaborates with AI to create a speculative visual archaeology that spans the vast expanse of planetary time, from ancient origins to imagined post-human futures. The prehistoric cave, far from being a mere relic or refuge, is reimagined as a living archive—a space where ritual, memory, and ancestral knowledge are inscribed, erased, and reborn. This archive is no longer shaped solely by geological processes or human hands; increasingly, it is influenced by machine intelligences that actively reshape both physical and digital realms. By doing so, De Wilde questions traditional hierarchies of knowledge and preservation, presenting the cave as a fluid, algorithmically evolving site where history is perpetually rewritten and hallucinated.

At its heart, Phantasmalithic explores the intricate interplay between humanity, technology, and the natural world. Drawing inspiration from David Lewis-Williams’ (2002) view of caves as communal spaces for cosmological and ecological meaning, De Wilde transforms both physical and virtual exhibition spaces into modern echoes of these ancient sites. Here, the past and the present converge, creating a dialogue between ancestral practices and contemporary innovation.

By weaving together imagined cave ecosystems with the remnants of our digital era, De Wilde emphasizes the nonlinearity of time and the fluid boundaries between nature, machine, and myth. His work resonates with Timothy Morton’s “dark ecology” (2016), embracing the complex interconnections of human and nonhuman forces while rejecting simplistic environmental narratives. Jussi Parikka’s media archaeology (2015) further informs the series, positioning technological artifacts as layered actors within histories of extraction and planetary transformation. Donna Haraway’s concept of sympoiesis (2016)—a collaborative act of world-making—also underpins De Wilde’s vision, advocating for partnership and mutual evolution rather than dominance over the nonhuman.

Ultimately, Phantasmalithic emerges as a post-disciplinary ritual, a techno-mystical practice that positions AI not merely as a tool but as a co-creator in the shared endeavor of remembering, imagining, and reshaping existence. Through this collaborative act, De Wilde invites us to navigate the complexities of the Anthropocene and envision new possibilities beyond it.

Note: De Wilde is currently working on a series of AI generated video’s and sculptures to develop an installation.