Struggle for Pleasure #116

Struggle for Pleasure is based on the artists’ continuous engagement with foundational algorithms in computer science which began around 2005, in this case with particular focus on the implementation of a “quadtree”. Its chronological outputs are curated and manually processed into artworks that explore the interplay between pixels, perception, and emotion.

While the series borrows its title from a minimalist musical piece by Belgian composer Wim Mertens, it also draws inspiration from the Impressionists' pursuit of coherency, viewing pixels as a dialogic potential beyond nostalgia. In contrast to previous works, the artistic process within Struggle for Pleasure adopts a gentler, iterative approach, retaining images from various stages and offering historical and procedural insights.

Using simple operations like mirroring and rotation, akin to minimal music approaches, paradoxically results in intricate, transcendental compositions. Embracing uncertainty, the artist invites viewers to partake in the struggle for pleasure, where simplicity unfolds into nuanced complexity.