Ilkka Olander, also known as ”Olio Imaginarium”, is a generative artist exploring imagination through endless stylistic research. At the core of his work is the concept of a media library, which is used in various ways to create immersive audiovisual worlds, diverse narratives, and elements of surprise. At the very least, each of his works can be seen as a themed exhibition, presenting an array of media centered around a specific subject and distinctive style.
Drawing from an ever-expanding array of influences, Olio Imaginarium mixes everything from historical fine art movements to popular pulp comics, baroque maximalism to modern minimalism, abstract expressionism to photorealism. He loves surreal, unexpected outcomes and seeks playful contrasts between the elements of his artwork.
Artwork
The Horde
’The Horde’ draws inspiration from the Romantic era’s oil paintings, with their grand scale and intricate detail. In all of the paintings, individuals are engulfed by the ‘crowd mind,’ forming a seemingly single, colossal organism, their bodies densely interwoven. Masses of people flood through the streets like rolling waves or rise toward the sky like raging wildfires.
Surreal 100: Fairyland
Welcome to Fairyland, an ethereal garden of hallucinatory shapes and colors, filled with hidden secrets and enigmatic lifeforms. This ’Surreal 100’ series piece builds on an abstract foundation, created in a random way, setting the stage for details and characters to materialize. The workflow is inspired by classic surrealist techniques such as frottage and decalcomania.
Hipster Odyssey III: The Mosaic of Modernity
Welcome to the final episode in the history of the cool. As the 20th century unfolded, the term ’hipster’—originally coined in the 1940s to describe jazz aficionados who adopted the lifestyle of their music idols—evolved into a cultural mosaic as varied as the century itself.
Hipster Odyssey II: Chronicles of the Chic
The second installment of a three-part series ’Hipster Odyssey’ presents avant-garde baroque stylemakers of Versailles, dandies parading down cobblestone boulevards and stylish lore from vampires to Frankenstein.
Hipster Odyssey I: Ancestors of the Avant-Garde
In the silent afterglow of the hipster’s heyday, let us embark on a journey through the epochs, unveiling the DNA of Hipsters. The desire to stand out from the crowd and explore alternative lifestyles is woven into the very fabric of our history.
Surreal 100: Never Quit Dreaming
The ’Surreal 100’ series celebrates a century of Surrealism (1924-2024) by showcasing 100 surrealistic works from Olio Imaginarium, demonstrating how surrealist techniques can be enhanced in the era of generative AI.
World Expo 2050: Art & Fantasy
Welcome to ’Art & Fantasy,’ the visionary chapter of ’World Expo 2050’—a collection of 100 themed islands that present human creativity across epochs. Far beyond the history of art, this series reaches into the realms of fantasies, myths, and utopias. Immerse yourself in vivid mini-worlds sculpted from imagination, redefining the museum experience.
World Expo 2050: Science & Nature
Discover ’Science & Nature,’ expansion of the ’World Expo 2050’ series, with 66 thematic islands showcasing scientific milestones, natural wonders, and architectural feats. This collection redefines museum exhibitions, offering immersive experiences within floating mini-universes, each full of life and detail.
World Expo 2050: History & Culture
The World Expo 2050 reimagines the concept of exhibition, moving beyond the traditional confines of museums to create spectacular themed floating islands—each a microcosm of human achievement and imagination.
Codex Machina
Welcome to Codex Machina – a long-lost imaginary thesaurus of jaw-dropping engineering achievements that, for various reasons, have faded into obscurity. Prepare to be amazed by ancient machines that defy both logic and practicality – true feats of fantastical mechanics where grandiose appearance proudly overshadows function.
Supercharged Reality XL
’Supercharged Reality XL’ explores our evolving perception of the nature—the fine line where reality meets illusion. Will the hyper-real become the new standard? Does it matter if environments are real or AI-created?
Metamorphosis
Life, in all its complexity, emerges from the rudimentary elements of the Earth. As the cycle of life dictates, these bodies will eventually disintegrate back into the very elements from which they originated. Elements of nature and the human body intertwine in these portraits, inviting viewers to reflect on our bodily metamorphosis.
About
Ilkka Olander, also known as ”Olio Imaginarium”, explores imagination through generative art. It is a project of endless research – recombining historical styles and inventing new ones. Drawing from a vast palette of influences, he mashes up anything from renaissance fine art to raw street graffiti, organic brushwork to digital pixel manipulation, futuristic scifi visions to vintage nostalgia. He seeks to establish visual dialogue between contrasting elements, creating a playground of delightful juxtapositions.
Olio Imaginarium thrives on the element of surprise, persistently defying categorization and refusing to be defined by earlier work or expectations. He strives to ignite the imagination by embracing the unexpected, always searching for happy accidents that have the potential to challenge conventions.
Media library
At the core of his work lies the concept of a media library. At its most fundamental level, this means that his works always consist of a collection of images rather than a single image. This approach aims to construct something more intricate and immersive than what a solitary image could convey. However, media libraries can encompass much more than just images. They can incorporate music, sound, video, and narrative elements, as seen in the piece ”Layers of Memory” (2012). This artwork generates millions of story variations by layering creatively the diverse elements in the media library. Olio Imaginarium explores potential of the media library as a creative medium, and a narrative and generative tool. To delve deeper into the subject of media libraries in generative artwork, refer to his thesis ”Layers of Memory” (in finnish).
Naming
In Finnish, ”Olio” translates to ”a being,” hence ”Olio Imaginarium” can be interpreted as ”a being that imagines.” In Latin, ”Olio” refers to ”oil,” a smooth liquid that facilitates the flow of imagination. Oil cannot be contained; it perpetually flows, lending a seamless quality to every interaction and permeating into hard-to-reach spaces. Thus, it serves as a perfect metaphor for creative exploration.
The music featured in most of his works is composed by his cinematic filmscore project, ”Orchestra Impossible.” It’s worth noting his initials ”O” and ”I” are present in both names.
Background
Ilkka Olander is a generative artist based in Helsinki, Finland. He has long career as a graphic designer, web designer, photographer and music producer. His artwork draws from his extensive experience at the intersection of visuals and music.
To streamline his workflow, he incorporates artificial intelligence alongside traditional methods like photography and image processing to create the imagery for his artworks. It is important for him, though, that AI remains just one tool in his arsenal, and all the artwork is designed and crafted by hand to a significant degree.
Contact
Are you interested in Olio Imaginarium or need artwork for your project? Call 050-5748041 or send email [email protected]