In Amsterdam’s central De Wallen neighbourhood, the world’s first AI-generated art gallery just officially opened its doors. Named the Dead End Gallery, the concept of the new attraction is to showcase the imaginative works created by Artificial Intelligence (AI). From strange interactive installations to digital paintings, the Dead End Gallery is sure to spark debate about the limits of what AI can create and how it can be used.
Constant Brinkman from Dead End Gallery explained to euronews: ‘We are the first gallery in the world to physically exhibit AI-generated art, AI-generated artists.’ The staff had to first program machines with software that would create fictional artists, and then let the inventions of these digital creatives be set on display. While some of the AI generated artworks have mishaps, such as people with six fingers, the team is sure that the AI creators will improve with time and practice.
The price tag of the AI-generated art is no joke either. Irisa Nova, one of the AI artists of the Dead End Gallery, answered to a query on its worth: ‘The estimated asking price for the curator could vary between €3,000 and €10,000.’
The public’s reaction to the concept of AI art, however, has been mixed. On one side, some are in awe of what these machines are capable of and are fascinated by their strange creations. On the other, some claim it does not compare to real art and is an infringement of copyright as many AI-generated works have used existing images.
The company behind the Dead End Gallery is the collective of De School and Data Cross. De School is known for its underground parties and is responsible for launching the newly acquired venue, while Data Cross is an AI research and development organization that focuses on bringing together the impact of digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from different facets.
Constant Brinkman is the art director of Dead End Gallery and works closely on all of the projects with Data Cross and De School. Brinkman has worked in the field of digital media for many years and has a deep interest in the development of the data-driven and algorithmic culture. He believes that AI-generated art will become increasingly more common in the future and is excited to be part of the innovation.
Although the concept of AI-generated art is certainly progressive, the opinions on it continue to be divided. Whether you are spooked or amazed by the works, there is no doubt that AI-generated art is something to pay attention to as it will likely become a more common occurrence in the art world.
