Hostage Generator (Proof of Life)
Description
Project
What happens when the photograph no longer carries weight as evidence? Dara Vandor’s “Hostage Generator (Proof of Life)” examines the erosion of photographic truth in an age where images can be endlessly manipulated or fabricated.
Experience
The project generates a daily image of the artist holding a copy of that day’s newspaper, echoing a gesture historically used to verify that a person was alive and in a specific place at a specific time. In Vandor’s version, the photograph is entirely simulated. Her “proof of life” is programmed with AI to refresh automatically with that day’s front page, no human intervention required. The generator keeps running, day after day.
Build
Image processing pipeline, Automation, Website build.
Role
Fullstack Development