Connor Wright's 'Alexa, Truth or Dare?' Interrogates the AI Age Through Monumental Painting

8 hours ago7 min read

In his solo presentation 'Alexa, Truth or Dare?', artist Connor Wright translates the overwhelming chaos of our digital ecosystem into the deliberate, physical language of painting. On view in Manhattan through January 20, 2026, the exhibition presents large-scale canvases that serve as a critical interface between algorithmic culture and human perception.Wright acts as a curator of the visual torrent, meticulously rendering the aesthetic of AI-generated imagery, memes, and deepfakes with the textured, imperfect hand of a painter. This collision creates a palpable tension on each canvas, questioning the very notion of authenticity in an age of seamless digital reproduction.The work resonates deeply with a culture familiar with prompt engineering and generative tools, positioning the artist's curation as the essential human act amidst infinite digital possibilities. The provocative title personifies our ubiquitous digital assistants, framing our interaction with technology as a high-stakes game that challenges the neutrality of algorithmic 'truth' and dares a more conscious engagement.Art historically, Wright builds upon the legacies of Gerhard Richter and the Pictures Generation, but his subject is the exponentially faster, personalized, and immersive image-flow of platform capitalism. The monumental scale of the works is intentional, forcing a bodily encounter that reclaims the image from the confines of the smartphone screen.Critics might link the exhibition to media theorist Vilém Flusser's concepts of the 'techno-image' and Hito Steyerl's writing on the 'poor image. ' Ultimately, Wright's practice asserts the enduring necessity of artistic intent and physical presence.It proposes that the future of image-making lies not in a simple dichotomy of human versus machine, but in a complex dialogue where painting documents, critiques, and slows down the very systems that seek to automate our visual and cognitive experience. The exhibition offers viewers a vital buffer—a space for active, critical observation in an era of passive consumption.

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#Connor Wright

#solo exhibition

#large-scale paintings

#contemporary art

#Manhattan

#image culture

#digital age