Sushi Friends: Auntie's Factory
Video, 2023
About the artwork
Set in a sushi factory in Niceaunties' surreal world, this AI video references changing technologies and automation in manufacturing facilities. Aunties and creatures appear to be relaxing and hurrying about doing nothing while the production line and levitating sushi machinery processes. The factory is a fun place to hang out, the absurdity emphasized by the play of scales, from giant aunties to humongous sushis. The sound design by Niceaunties overlays different clock ticking sounds, the collaged beats building up to a crescendo in the centre and simplifying at the end as activities in the factory slow down. The video is made with the AI programme DALL.E3 and animated with Runwayml Gen2.
Sound design by Niceaunties
Audio explanation
Listen to Niceaunties discuss this work.
Niceaunties is a contemporary artist and designer based in Singapore. Drawing inspiration from the influential women in her family and the distinct 'auntie culture,' her work explores themes of ageing, beauty, personal freedom, and everyday life through AI and digital art. Her life experiences and architectural training inform the conceptual basis of her pieces, while her focus on the nuanced behaviours of 'aunties' highlights the culture prevalent in Asian communities.
These women, embodying a spectrum from strange and funny to mean and kind, profoundly influenced the artist's early life and creative narrative, laying the foundation for the unique storytelling of "Niceaunties." Exploring themes like aging, beauty, personal freedom, and the nuances of everyday life, Niceaunties expresses her vision through the mediums of generative and digital art. Her creations are marked by an amalgamation of surrealism, fantasy, and the vibrant aesthetics of kawaii culture.
Influenced by surreal art, fantasy, and kawaii culture, Niceaunties' art champions empowerment and self-expression.