Iskra Velitchkova

Iskra Velitchkova is a generative artist based in Madrid. After a period working in technology and artificial intelligence, she turned her focus to art, using code as a primary medium. Her practice is founded on an interest in the interactions between humans and machines. Rather than seeking to humanise technology, her work investigates how this relationship can expand our understanding of our own limits and creative processes. She views technology not merely as a tool, but as a source of inspiration that shapes both the subject and the structure of her creations.

Velitchkova builds generative systems that explore the emergent possibilities of algorithms. The series `Uninhabitable`, for instance, constructs compositions entirely from ellipses, using geometric and trigonometric disruptions to evoke organic environments. The variation in stroke weight within these works is deliberate, revealing the immense quantity of lines and the underlying logic of the machine's process. Her practice extends beyond purely digital outputs to incorporate hand drawn forms, sculpture and ceramics. In collaborations such as `horizon(te)s` with Zach Lieberman, she has also explored conceptual frameworks, using prompts to create a dialogue between artistic styles rather than a simple fusion.

The resulting works challenge perceived oppositions between the digital and the physical, the artificial and the organic. A central concern is perception itself, and how structures of measurement and representation shape our view of reality. In series like `A captive parrot`, abstract geometric planes coalesce to suggest figurative forms, prompting a reflection on how we quantify and comprehend the natural world. Velitchkova also investigates distance, not just as a physical separation but as a condition of contemporary experience defined by information systems. Her use of randomness and machine collaboration places her work in a lineage of generative art that questions the boundaries of authorship and control.