An Interview with Hermes Kondor

An Interview on the Occasion of “Baroque Elegance” at Caerleone Manor
Opening Sunday, June 9th | 9:30–10:30 AM SLT

With pleasure and anticipation, Caerleone Manor welcomes distinguished photographer and digital artist Hermes Kondor for the summer season exhibition Baroque Elegance. In advance of the opening, I had the honour of sitting down with Mr. Kondor to speak about his creative journey—from the hard-edged realities of photojournalism to the lush theatricality of AI-generated art.

Sethos: You’ve had a remarkable career in real-world photojournalism and street photography, and now you’re exploring digital and AI-generated art. What drew you to create Baroque Elegance, and how did your background shape the vision behind this exhibition?

Hermes: My journey began in photojournalism, working as a professional photo reporter for a daily newspaper, and in street photography as a personal passion—both rooted in observation, timing, and truth. These mediums aim to capture reality in its rawness and intensity.

In 2022, after experimenting with various forms of digital art, I discovered the fascinating world of AI-generated imagery. It offered a completely new creative process—turning thoughts into words, and words into visual prompts. This method opened up unexpected challenges and creative freedom.

With Baroque Elegance, I wanted to explore a more interpretive and theatrical realm. The Baroque period—full of contrast, emotion, and grandeur—stands in stark contrast to the spontaneity of street photography. But at their core, both are driven by narrative. My photojournalism background trained my eye to capture fleeting moments; here, I sought to create moments—through light, costume, and atmosphere—as if directing a historical film. The experience is highly cinematic, centered around the iconic figure of Marie Antoinette.

AI became the perfect tool to reimagine this complex and opulent era, allowing me to build atmospheres that resonate with the past while gesturing toward something timeless and futuristic.

Sethos: The exhibition blends historical aesthetic with modern technique. How do you approach the tension—or harmony—between traditional composition and the experimental nature of AI tools?

Hermes: I see it as a kind of dance—like the dynamic between a photographer and their subject. Traditional photographic principles give me the visual grammar: light, rhythm, the rule of thirds, and balance. AI, however, introduces an unpredictable, collaborative energy. It’s not about giving up control, but about staying open to surprise and experimentation.

I bring the rules of classic photography into my prompts—sometimes even referencing previous works—but I also listen to what the AI “offers” through its deviations. Often, the unexpected outcomes are the most intriguing. Harmony emerges when structure and spontaneity converge—when an image feels inevitable, even though it was born from pure imagination.

Sethos: As someone who’s worked with both stark realism and stylized interpretation, what does beauty mean to you in the context of your work? How do you find it in subjects as small as a macro still life or as grand as a Baroque composition?

Hermes: For me, beauty is resolved tension. It’s that moment when contrasts—light and shadow, opulence and fragility, realism and fantasy—fall into place in a way that feels emotionally right.

In documentary photography, beauty might appear in the raw inevitability of a moment. In a Baroque composition, it might emerge from a graceful gesture or the way light sculpts a face from darkness. Regardless of the scale, I search for resonance—something that draws the viewers in and invites them to look deeper. Beauty isn’t just on the surface; it’s a fusion of structure, emotion, and intention that captivates and lingers.

Sethos: You’ve been curating exhibitions in Second Life since 2007 through the Kondor Art Center. What role do you see virtual spaces playing in the future of serious digital art—and what excites you most about sharing your work at Caerleone Manor?

Hermes: Second Life has long nurtured digital creativity—since its early days in 2006–2007, it has been a unique world of artistic experimentation. At Kondor Art Center and other galleries across the grid, we’ve seen extraordinary digital photography and immersive exhibitions take shape.

Caerleone Manor stands out for its dedication to beauty and elegance. It’s not merely a virtual gallery—it’s a historically inspired, deeply atmospheric space that elevates the experience of digital art. Exhibiting there allows the work to be seen not just as flat images, but as part of an architectural and narrative environment.

I believe the future of digital art lies in these multidimensional experiences—where the audience doesn’t just view the art, but steps inside it. That depth of immersion leads to deeper connection, and also a greater sense of artistic responsibility.

Sethos: You’ll be giving a talk later this summer on the state of AI artwork. Without giving too much away, what are some of the biggest questions or opportunities you see on the horizon for artists working with AI today?

Hermes: The biggest question is authorship: as AI becomes more sophisticated, where does the artist’s voice begin and end? It’s a challenge, but also a gateway to new forms of expression. We’re entering a phase where intuition, curation, and conceptual depth may become more important than traditional craftsmanship.

AI can democratize creativity, remix history, and give form to ideas that once existed only in the imagination. But the key is to use it with integrity—to create work that is not only visually striking but emotionally and intellectually meaningful.

The greatest challenge is to make the work truly our own: developing a personal style and a thoughtful process, not fearing the new, but embracing it with curiosity and courage. That’s where the future lies—at the intersection of innovation and identity.

Thank you so much for the honor of presenting this project at Caerleone, and for the inspiring challenge it offered me.

Sethos:
Hermes, thank you for sharing your insights and for offering us such a captivating glimpse into the creative journey behind Baroque Elegance. It has been a true pleasure to host your work at Caerleone Manor—a setting that feels all the more alive with your vision woven through its halls.

We warmly invite our guests to attend the opening of Baroque Elegance on Sunday, June 8th at 9:30 AM SLT. Join us for an hour of art, conversation, and classical music as we celebrate this extraordinary exhibition in the spirit of elegance and imagination.