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FEIn May 1997, something subtle but irreversible happened. On a chessboard in New York City, a machine defeated the reigning world champion. Not in speed. In thought.
We are honored to present:
Deep Blue v Kasparov by @_nonfigurativ_
A Fellowship+ @artxcode.io release.
Kasparov had beaten IBM’s Deep Blue in 1996 (4–2).
A year later, the rematch told a different story. After six games, the upgraded machine won 3½–2½. History shifted, quietly.
Kasparov resigned after just 19 moves in the final game. It wasn’t only a loss, it was a threshold moment. For the first time, a machine overcame a human champion in a domain synonymous with intellect.
The real question was never whether machines would surpass human calculation, but how we renegotiate our relationship with technology beyond zero-sum competition. These works render decision itself visible, navigable, and shared.
“Deep Blue v Kasparov” is a series of 12 data sculptures that examine this historical transition through spatial representation. Each piece (which represents one of the games they played in the period from 96-97) converts algebraic chess notation into three-dimensional form, where the xy-plane represents the board's 64 squares, while the z-axis shows the progression of moves through time.
In addition to the minimalistic web of lines representing the actual moves of the game, the other possible moves each piece could have made are drawn out by a less legible pattern of particles. Small “explosions” of these same particles are emitted from the positions where a piece was captured. Using JavaScript and WebGL, the sculptures create browser-based interactive spaces where viewers can explore the games' evolving structures and examine the intense fight between two minds of a different substrate.
@fellowship.xyz
