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AI art enters the MoMa gallery space

Unsupervised by Refik Anadol at The Museum of Modern Art, US

US – The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has unveiled three new digital artworks, one of which is a striking 24 feet by 24 feet digital display filling its lobby. On view until March 2023, the work, Unsupervised by Turkish artist Refik Anadol, uses AI to flow a constantly shifting display of forms, drawing on more than 200 years of art from the museum’s collection.

In 2021, Anadol created an online exhibition on art platform Feral File, for which he trained a machine learning model to interpret data from MoMA’s collection. For this installation at MoMA, Anadol has revised the artworks he made in 2021 to incorporate real-time input from the surrounding environment – changes in light, movement, volume and the weather – which, in turn, affect the continuously changing imagery.

‘This project reshapes the relationship between the physical and the virtual, the real and the unreal,’ says Michelle Kuo, the Marlene Hess curator of painting and sculpture at MoMA. ‘Often, AI is used to classify, process and generate realistic representations of the world. Anadol’s work, by contrast, is visionary: it explores dreams, hallucination and irrationality, posing an alternative understanding of modern art and of art-making itself.’ Read more about this in our upcoming AI creativity analysis and in our microtrend The Awe Economy.

Strategic opportunity

Is AI imagery art? The question should be: how does AI change the nature of art – and creativity too? Be prepared for AI-influenced visual aesthetics to arise and consider what creative opportunities AI will pose for your business

Germany will grant a cultural allowance to every 18-year-old

Germany – From 2023, teenagers turning 18 will be eligible for a new benefit, promoting wider access to culture among German youth.

As part of the country’s new Culture Pass programme, an estimated 750,000 German residents turning 18 years old in 2023 will be able to apply for the stipend, granting them a £172 (€200, $208) credit to spend on cultural events. Available as credits on a government-backed app, the budget can be used at museums, concerts, theatre performances and other events.

‘We want to get young people excited about the diversity of culture in our country,’ explains culture minister Claudia Roth. On top of benefiting youth, the programme is also intended to support local institutions. The culture industry in Germany is still recovering from the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, and the Pass is an attempt to increase demand for culture and attract new audiences.

Other European countries, including France, Italy and Spain, have recently launched similar initiatives, promoting self-development and curiosity by encouraging youth to engage with cultural events and institutions through financial incentives.

some·place by Lana Hopkins, Sydney and Los Angeles

Strategic opportunity

With governments paving the way for widespread access to culture, business can also align with this need whether through engaging campaigns or affordable events geared towards youth

Stat: Americans have mixed feelings about brands on Twitter

Pexels

US – Should brands still advertise on Twitter? With the platform going through troubled times following Elon Musk’s takeover, Morning Consult has polled consumers on how they feel about brands still using Twitter despite the recent controversy.

Twitter’s downturn has shown the importance of cybersecurity and moderation for consumers. Following the introduction of Musk’s new policies, there has been an increase in hate speech on the platform with users impersonating verified accounts of brands or public figures by purchasing a ‘check mark’.

What does this mean for brands? For about half of US adults, campaigns on a platform that tolerates hate speech (52%) or misinformation (49%) make them feel very unfavourable towards the advertiser running them. And beyond feelings, 45% said they would not purchase from advertising alongside such content. The study suggests that with users, including many key opinion leaders, leaving Twitter to denounce Musk’s leadership, brands should rethink marketing strategies and consider shifting advertising budgets to less problematic platforms.

Cutting ties with a problematic partner is the sensible marketing move, but these findings suggest that even a remote association can damage brand reputation in the era of New News and heightened transparency.

Strategic opportunity

How and where you choose to advertise matters to consumers. Reconsider whether the channels you use and the partners you associate with are aligned with your values