De-Construction
by EdgeStretching
Artist Statement
De-Construction reflects on technology as an extension of human reach, a force that can enable renewal or accelerate destruction.
At a time marked by political instability, environmental pressure, and rapid innovation, it asks whether we are reshaping our world to build differently, or dismantling more than we realise.
Oversized yet recognisable machines appear within European urban environments, spaces shaped by layers of architectural and cultural memory.
Used to dig, demolish and rebuild, these machines intervene directly in the fabric of the city. Their presence shifts scale and meaning, moving attention beyond their immediate action toward what follows: what is being prepared, erased, or set into motion.
This project emerged from a growing sense of unease I experienced, as war, power struggles, energy pressure, and technological acceleration began to converge. Together, these forces shaped a persistent discomfort toward the systems we rely on without fully grasping how they operate.
The idea took form while observing heavy equipment in a public square in Brussels, where the force of its action became a concrete expression of a broader condition in which familiar structures suggest control, yet hold the capacity to transform our surroundings.
The images combine my own photographs with AI-generated elements. I deliberately use real types of machinery, sometimes exaggerating their scale or introducing slight variations, to keep the scenes anchored in reality. Built through layered processes, the compositions avoid clearly separating what is documented from what is constructed.
A few notes on control, dependence and destruction
Control is central: these machines seem to be human tools. They suggest efficiency and command over the physical world. Yet when placed within urban environments, this sense of control becomes uncertain.
Dependence is what we are constantly dealing with. Contemporary life relies on technical, energy, economic, and digital systems that are essential but often difficult to fully understand.
We use them, trust them, and build our lives around them, even when their mechanisms remain opaque and their impact is not entirely clear. Hence we end up being afraid of them.
Disruption is the moment when this tension becomes visible. In the images, the machines interrupt the continuity of the city, alter scale, and disturb the meaning of the place. It is not clear whether they are destroying to prepare or to erase
Technical Details
Photography
Sony A7 III digital camera. Urban environments are photographed by the artist on location in European cities.
AI Generation
Midjourney v7 and Gemini 2.5 are used to generate images of heavy machinery.
Prompts are developed and refined by the artist to produce specific, recognisable types of equipment.
Image Construction and Postproduction
Final works are composed and edited in Adobe Photoshop 2026. The images are built through layered compositing that integrates photographic material and AI-generated elements. Adjustments to scale, light, and spatial coherence are made to construct a unified image while maintaining a controlled ambiguity between documentation and fabrication.
Dimensions / Specifications
11 digital still images designed for screen-based presentation + 2 videos
Primary formats:
3840 × 2160 px (horizontal stills and video)
2160 × 3840 px (vertical still and video)
High-resolution digital files suitable for exhibition on large-scale monitors, projection, or LED display.
Crawler Excavator and Wrecking ball will come with 80x45cm Fine Art Giclée prints
Artworks
Single Editions (hor)
1 - Crawler bulldozer
2 - Electric rope shovel
3 - Bucket wheel trencher
4 - Carrier machine
5 - Crawler Excavator (w print)
6 - Haul truck
7 - Wrecking ball (w print)
8 - Bucket wheel excavator
9 - Tunnelling Rig
10 - Mining Excavator
10 Editions (ver)
11 - Drilling Rig
Videos
Single editions
1 - On a mission (ver)
2 - Digging deep (hor)
Metrics
September 2024 - May 2026
876 source photographs
281 selected AI-generations
87 elaborated composite files
First AI tests: 29 October 2025
Final photo shoot: 24 May 2026
In 2026, with 20% of the NFT primary net proceeds, EdgeStretching will support the #WomanLifeFreedom movement with donations
to the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, a non-profit organization for the promotion of human rights and democracy in Iran
Development Notes
