PUBLIKFRUIT

PUBLIKFRUIT is a digital artist and animator known for weaving cinematic storytelling into AI-generated imagery. With a background in filmmaking – including training in San Francisco and a stint as a film editor in Los Angeles – PUBLIKFRUIT spent over 15 years as a 3D animator and motion designer in New York and Berlin, crafting visuals for a variety of media. This rich experience in traditional and digital animation laid the groundwork for his foray into AI art, where he now creates what he calls “post-photographic” animations. In these works, each frame is an AI-generated photograph, sequenced together to form moving narratives. The content of PUBLIKFRUIT’s art often defies strict realism – think surreal scenes and dreamlike storylines – yet remains intuitively relatable, resonating on a human level despite its algorithmic origin. Such pieces invite viewers to question their perception of reality and possibility, aligning perfectly with the theme of Fellowship’s Acceptable Realities exhibition in which he participated.

In interviews, PUBLIKFRUIT describes his creative journey as a continuous blending of tools: from analog photography (shooting 35mm film) to the latest AI models. He was drawn to AI in 2022 when the tools matured enough to meet his storytelling ambitions, allowing him to act as director, cinematographer, and editor all at once in a simulated studio. The result is a body of work that challenges conventional boundaries of film and photography. His De La Naught (2023) series, for example, is emblematic of his style – a sequence of AI-crafted images that together explore a metaphysical narrative, blurring the line between memory and invention.