"serenum foliatus" (AV-2024-U-542) is part of aurèce vettier's POTENTIAL HERBARIUMS, a body of carefully crafted physical works representing impossible forms of plants and trees dreamed up by artificial intelligence.
To realize this bronze tree, aurèce vettier collected 4 million herbarium plates to feed a bespoke artificial intelligence model called GAN (Generative Adversarial Network). This cutting-edge tool generated a synthesis of this digital herbarium, creating intriguing tree forms that could be described as anti-Darwinian. These forms were then 3D-modeled so that they could be examined from all angles. aurèce vettier then ventured into the forests of his native Savoie region to collect small fragments of branches that matched the sections of the 3D model before assembling a wooden mock-up of the tree.
To bring this digital creation back to reality, the mock-up was cast in bronze using a "lost wood" technique. The leaves of the tree were 3D printed and cast using injection molding. The patina is applied with ammonium dichromate to maintain the golden tone of the bronze, while the leaves are white. The technique employed, combining a wide range of digital and physical know-how, creates a totally unique, hybrid piece.