BENKA

France, 1983

BENKA critically examines the profound impact of artificial intelligence on contemporary society, challenging the often underestimated risks associated with AI's rapid advancement. Through his work, he highlights the digitization of human relationships via the pervasive influence of smartphones, the increasing presence of humanoid robots like Aida, Sophia, and Erica, and the growing reach of cyber-surveillance. BENKA's artistic approach is a direct response to the ongoing robotization of our world, urging us to reflect on our evolving relationship with AI.

While acknowledging the significant benefits of AI in fields such as medicine and astronomy, BENKA also draws attention to its potential dangers and the ethical dilemmas it presents. His use of captchas—those familiar combinations of numbers and letters—serves as a symbol of this struggle. These elements are transformed in his paintings, representing the conflict between the digital and the human.

BENKA’s work also delves into the theme of identity in an increasingly anonymous world. He explores the idea that despite our digital existence, we are still defined by unique codes—letters, numbers, colors, and shapes—that form an endless array of identities. BENKA positions himself as an alchemist, a mathematician decoding impossible formulas, a physicist exploring balance and combinations. His work creates a personal, distinctive art that resonates with the traditions of abstract art, particularly the informalism of the 1950s. Engaging with BENKA’s art is an invitation to discover a new realm of knowledge, where alphanumeric codes unlock the safe harboring pure artistic expression.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
- *Painted with Vulgarity*, Galerie Dantendorfer, Vienna, Austria (2022)
- *Virtual Insanity*, Galerie Dantendorfer, Vienna, Austria (2021)
- *CAPTCHA*, Galerie Kaysser, Stuttgart, Germany (2020)
- *Take a Look at Your Reflection*, Galerie Kaysser, Stuttgart, Germany (2018)
- *You’d Better Shoot the Robot First*, Galerie Z 22, Berlin, Germany (2018)

**GROUP EXHIBITIONS**
- *WAY OUT*, Grange Gallery, Cernay-les-Reims, France (2020)
- *Kunst Salon*, Galerie Kaysser, Ruhpolding, Germany (2020)
- *Kunst Salon*, Galerie Kaysser, Ruhpolding, Germany (2019)
- *Aus der Strömung 4*, KUNST BLOCK BALVE, Munich, Germany (2019)
- *Armer Sammler*, Berlin, Germany (2018)
- *Autodidakt*, Kunstarkaden, Munich, Germany (2017)

**ART FAIRS**
- *ART KARLSRUHE*, Galerie Z22, Karlsruhe, Germany (2022)
- *POSITIONS ART FAIR*, Galerie Z22, Berlin, Germany (2021)
- *ART KARLSRUHE*, Galerie Z22, Karlsruhe, Germany (2020)
- *Discovery Art Fair*, Galerie Z22, Cologne, Germany (2019)
- *Discovery Art Fair*, Galerie Z22, Frankfurt, Germany (2018)
- *Art Salzburg Contemporary*, Galerie Z22, Salzburg, Austria (2018)
- *MUNICH ART HOUSE*, Self-representation, Munich, Germany (2018)
- *Kunstmesse Leipzig*, Self-representation, Leipzig, Germany (2017)
- *Contemporary Art Ruhr*, Galerie Z22, Essen, Germany (2017)
- *ARTMUC*, Self-representation, Munich, Germany (2017)
- *Discovery Art Fair*, Galerie Z22, Berlin, Germany (2017)
- *Discovery Art Fair*, Self-representation, Cologne, Germany (2017)