Intrusive Thoughts

Intrusive Thoughts by artist Jurgis Peters What can't generative artificial intelligence (AI) stop thinking about? At the core of this exhibition is an artistic inquiry into the visual archetypes that underpin AI models–archetypes whose presence we only dimly perceive in our daily lives. These archetypes reflect what the system has “seen” most frequently and knows best. They are not merely aesthetic, but cultural: a sedimentation of visual norms and biases accumulated within the training data. The interactive installation consists of multiple screens that display the internal state of the AI system at various points in time. It is complemented by the physical infrastructure and tangled wires that are usually hidden from view. The partially dismantled devices placed on the floor mark the boundary between the system and the viewer, reminding us that behind what we call AI lies a very physical infrastructure. Left alone, the system sinks into itself. It feeds on its own creations, wandering between its internal states–glowing, abstract compositions formed by fine cellular networks, rhythmic dot matrices, and contrasting digital noise. Although this content seems to resemble nothing concrete, it embodies the visual structures dominant in the model’s training data. They are like thoughts that the AI returns to in solitude. As the viewer approaches, this state is disrupted. A human silhouette barely emerges in the noisy images, like an unformed image or a half-asleep vision. Yet the system is indifferent to presence; the fleeting disturbances soon fade, once again revealing the archetypes that continue to serve as an invisible filter for the perception of the world and the viewer themselves. Jurģis Peters is a new media artist based in Helsinki and a doctoral researcher at the University of Tampere (Finland), where he studies the interplay between humans and artificial intelligence (AI). Combining his education in audiovisual arts (MA) and computer science (MSc), he creates interactive installations and generative systems based on real-time feedback loops. In his practice, the artist develops custom AI tools to critically analyze the algorithmic gaze, shed light on models' internal processes, and speculate on hybrid beings. In his works, technology serves as a space for exploring new forms of intimacy, the mutability of memory, and contemporary mythologies that emerge from the continuous intertwining of human and algorithmic elements. The exhibition will be on view until July 18, 2026. Opening hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Address: RIXC Gallery, Lenču iela 2, Riga. Free admission. Supported by the Riga City Council, State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Riga Art Week (RAW)