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ZENODO
Report . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Report . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Report . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Divine DNA: Cultural Representation as a Visual System

Authors: Varzari, Daniel;

Divine DNA: Cultural Representation as a Visual System

Abstract

Divine DNA: Cultural Representation as a Visual System examines how cultural diversity may be represented through a coherent visual system rather than through conventional symbolic, geographic, or ethnographic models. Centered on Divine DNA (2016), a monumental painting composed of 249 unique abstract icons representing nations and states within a unified visual structure, the paper investigates the relationships between identity, representation, complexity, and systemic organization. Drawing upon the framework of Systemic Abstraction, the study analyzes how meaning emerges through organizational unity, interdependence, and organized complexity rather than isolated symbolic illustration. The paper argues that cultural identity can be understood as a relational phenomenon, in which individual elements retain their distinctiveness while participating in a larger integrated system. Engaging contemporary art theory, visual culture, systems theory, and artistic research, the publication proposes an alternative model of cultural representation based on relational structures and visual organization. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing discussions concerning cultural identity, representation, abstraction, and the role of visual systems in contemporary art. This publication forms part of the El Arte Monumental Research Series and develops the theoretical framework introduced in New Perfection: Toward a Theory of Systemic Abstraction in Contemporary Painting (2026).

Keywords

Systemic Abstraction, Cultural Identity, Relational Systems, Artistic Research, Systems Theory, Aesthetics, Cultural Representation, Visual Systems, Intercultural Representation, Contemporary Art Theory, Contemporary Painting, Organized Complexity, National Identity, Global Cultural Diversity, Complexity Studies, Symbolic Architecture, Identity Studies, Visual Culture, Human Systems, New Perfection

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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