In Motherland: Synthetic Nature, digital artist Orkhan Mammadov employs artificial intelligence to reinterpret aerial satellite imagery of his homeland, Azerbaijan. Initiated in 2018 as an experimental exploration, the series captures Mammadov’s reflection on geographic heritage and personal nostalgia, utilizing generative adversarial networks (GAN) trained on datasets derived from publicly available satellite imagery and scraped photos.
Minted in 2021 as a limited edition of ten (originally intended as an edition of one hundred), each piece symbolizes a critical examination of digital authenticity, ethical considerations surrounding dataset creation, and the evolving relationship between technology and cultural identity. Minted on Opensea's shared contract.
"Reflecting on this series in 2025, I recognize the complexities surrounding ethical dataset creation and usage. Initially driven by longing for my homeland while living abroad in Prague, my experimental approach raises important questions about how artists can responsibly obtain and use data. Although it started as a broader edition, the limited distribution further highlights the intimate nature of this exploration into place, identity, and digital practice." - Orkhan Mammadov, 2025.