COLLECTOR’S CHOICE - PAL by Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez and Iskra Velitchkova
PAL is an early conceptual work created in 2022 by Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez and Iskra Velitchkova, using a generative system to explore love—its origins, roots, and the consequences of how we navigate its inescapable flaws. While relationships are often marked by unpredictability and vulnerability, these very qualities make them valuable and deeply human. In our constant pursuit of the ideal, PAL raises a question: can a generative system, designed for perfection, ever truly capture the essence and richness of imperfect love?
PAL, 2022 trailer by Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez and Iskra Velitchkova
PAL is the first collaborative project between Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez and Iskra Velitchkova, two generative artists from Spain. In their art, both focus on the relationship between humans and machines and how this interaction affects our understanding of ourselves. Instead of just using technology as a tool, they work with it as a collaborator to explore human perception, emotions, and limitations.
PAL, 2022 trailer by Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez and Iskra Velitchkova
The project began as a performance at the 2023 Art SG in Singapore. The artists developed a generative system that produced video works, which were then transferred onto a VHS tape, bringing the digital outputs into a physical medium. The tape was played on an analog TV in a continuous loop for four days. To introduce external interference, the artists placed a small neodymium magnet inside the media player.
PAL, 2022 trailer by Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez and Iskra Velitchkova
The video on the VHS tape was built around a circle—a fundamental shape representing unity, an idealized union, and the concept of perfection. These circular compositions, created by a generative system, symbolized the human pursuit of balance, harmony, and the idea of a perfect relationship.
PAL #7, 2022 by Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez and Iskra Velitchkova
Over four days, as the video played, the magnet gradually distorted and erased parts of the visuals, replacing them with static and glitches. Unlike a digitally programmed effect, this interference was unpredictable and irreversible. The fact that the distortion came from the physical world further emphasized the contrast between the controlled precision of generative systems and the uncertainty of real life. This transformation mirrored the imperfections that shape human relationships—unpredictable, evolving, and beyond control—highlighting that their beauty lies not in perfection, but in the very flaws, changes, and uncertainties that make them real.
The entire performance was recorded on the VHS tape, which the artists digitized to create 100 unique digital pieces.
PAL can be found in many esteemed private collections such as Karatekid, TheFunnyGuys, Lemonde2d, iki_jima, Kate Vass Galerie and many more.