There is hardly any topic at the moment that stirs emotions more and dominates the headlines of (social) media: artificial intelligence, or AI for short. Its fields of application are very diverse: some people have their email correspondence written with artificial assistance; others create their presentations this way or have code written for them. By now, AI has also made its way into the art world. So much for the facts. What surprised me, however, is that AI-generated images can, in the meantime, become the main attraction of an entire exhibition. At least, that\u2019s what happened at the opening (vernissage) of the Artists\u2019 Guild Harz at the adult education center (VHS) in Goslar.<\/p>\n
It immediately catches the eye<\/strong> Art meets AI<\/strong>
\nThursday evening, the forum is well attended; the VHS Goslar has invited guests to the vernissage. \u201cHidden Horizons. Encounter with Reality\u201d is the title of the exhibition. While the connection to the title does not become clear to me\u2014even during the introductory remarks by the hosts\u2014my gaze is already drawn to a picture that somehow fascinates me. It is the work \u201cMuseum of Time\u201d by Sidney Gromnica. I\u2019m not sure whether it\u2019s the subject of the image, its multidimensionality, or the color scheme that captures my attention.<\/p>\n
\nAfter the formalities and the musical accompaniment, two things begin: on the one hand, the \u201crush\u201d for drinks and the provided snacks; on the other, the tour through the exhibited artworks starts. At first, neither the \u201chidden horizons\u201d nor the \u201cencounter with reality\u201d becomes apparent to us\u2014we cannot really identify these themes in the works. Nevertheless, and I think this is often the case, visitors quickly decide which motifs appeal to them and which do not. That was certainly true for us. For example, the works of Qasim al-Sharqi appeal to me because of their colors. I also find the drawn insects, such as a dragonfly or stag beetle and the like, artistically very appealing. In the end, however, we spend more time in front of the exhibit called \u201cMuseum of Time.\u201d We soon notice that we are not the only ones giving this picture more and longer attention. When I learn that it is an AI-generated work, I am quite astonished. In other words, the secret \u201cstar\u201d of the evening is a piece of art created by artificial intelligence! So-called AI art, as I find out, refers to the entirety of artworks that were created with the help of artificial intelligence or influenced by it. But: is this still art in the true sense? An article on Deutschlandfunk Kultur, at any rate, sees no contradiction in this. Well, when the Goethe-Institut headlines, \u201cMaking the Invisible Visible: Art Meets AI,\u201d then \u201cMuseum of Time\u201d would at least be exactly the motif that best corresponds to the title \u201cHidden Horizons and Encounter with Reality.\u201d<\/p>\n