Exploratorius

*Exploratorius* is a photobook by Elaine Pessoa that reinterprets 19th-century scientific expeditions in Brazil. Using AI and artistic interventions, it critiques colonial imagery and explores the overlap between art, science, and historical narratives.

Exploratorius: An Artistic and Historical Journey through Colonial Brazil The photobook Exploratorius, by visual artist Elaine Pessoa, offers a critical rereading of the scientific expeditions carried out in Brazil in the 19th century, highlighting the works of Spix and Martius. Combining historical research, artificial intelligence and artistic intervention, the work deconstructs the visual and textual narratives produced during these encounters between the European gaze and the tropics, resignifying the colonial imaginary from a contemporary perspective. Structured in five chapters - Paisa_IA_gens, Flora, Fauna, Cabinets and Log_IA_s -, the project explores the boundaries between science and art, by using artificial intelligence to create images based on historical descriptions. These visualizations are complemented by the artist's manual interventions, such as stains and alterations, which symbolize the marks left by the colonial processes. Thus, Elaine Pessoa challenges the apparent neutrality of scientific visual representations and invites the reader to reflect on the subjectivity inherent in these productions. With critical texts by Sabrina Moura and Cristiana Tejo, Exploratorius deepens the debate on the coloniality of power and the impact of these images on the contemporary global imagination. Published by Fotô Editorial in partnership with Selo Turvo, the photobook unites art, history and technology, consolidating itself as an essential contribution to rethinking the legacies of colonialism and cultural representations. An indispensable work for lovers of art and history.