EXHIBIT '90 Miles' by Michael Christopher Brown

Exhibition on view: 25 October – 5 December
Maison Française d’Oxford
Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
Sat 25 Oct, Sat 8 Nov & Sat 22 Nov, 1–5pm

For over 25 years, I kept a list of subjects I wanted to document but could not, largely because of access restrictions. In 2023, when the general public gained the ability to collaborate with a collective history of photography to create photorealistic visions of what was, is, or could be, I was inspired to launch 90 Miles in the tradition of reportage illustration.

90 Miles is an AI reportage illustration experiment that explores the decades-long story of Cubans crossing the 90 miles of ocean separating Havana from Florida. The imagery speaks to Cuban realities and historical events that drove many to escape — most often in makeshift, homemade watercraft. I first learned about these perilous journeys while growing up in America, watching television and reading newspapers.

Between 2014 and 2016, while working in Cuba, I tried to document the story directly. But I soon realized that any attempt at coverage might endanger those who remained in the country. There was no safe or ethical way to access or record these experiences. The prompts that generated this body of work therefore come from past conversations with Cubans during my time on the island, from a lifelong exposure to these narratives, and from subsequent online research.

The work is based on true stories but does not claim to be real. It begins in the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis, when Cuba underwent dramatic political and economic change, and spans from Fidel Castro’s rise to power in the late 1950s to the present day.

This exhibition is presented as part of Press the Shutter, Type the Prompt: Photography & Truth in Times of AI, organised by Goran Gaber, Andrew Cusworth, and Anne-Sophie Gabillas within the Channels of Digital Scholarship initiative by the Maison Française d’Oxford and Digital Scholarship @Oxford. It brings together international artists who explore generative AI as a tool, a narrative device, a critical lens, and a poetic medium — revealing fresh possibilities at the intersection of art, technology, and storytelling.

https://www.michaelchristopherbrown.com

 

Michael Christopher Brown is a photographer, filmmaker, and author. Above all, he is an artist and storyteller who passionately explores the human experience through all mediums, including artificial intelligence. A former photographer at Magnum Photos, he has worked as a National Geographic Photographer since 2004. His current creative projects include a book collaboration with Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha in order to raise money for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and their ongoing efforts in the Gaza war. He speaks at institutions, festivals, and organizations worldwide, offering personal insights and lessons from the frontlines of human experience.

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