MoMA Acquires First AI and NFT Artworks, Signalling a New Era in Art History
Summary:
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York recently acquired two significant art pieces, marking the first inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI) and non-fungible token (NFT) artworks in its collection. These pieces are Refik Anadol’s “Unsupervised — Machine Hallucinations” (2022) and an item from Ian Cheng's "3FACE" project. MoMA also unveiled its fall and winter digital art programming schedule. These initiatives highlight MoMA's dedication to fostering artists who work with emerging technologies to broaden their creative horizons. Both Anadol and Cheng's works provoke resonant questions about art history and human psychology, marking a significant development in the art world.
In the legacy art world, Web3's creative stronghold is confirmed by the rise of generative art. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York recently made headlines by adding to its collection two unique pieces; Refik Anadol’s “Unsupervised — Machine Hallucinations” (2022) and an item from Ian Cheng's "3FACE" project from the previous year. Marking the first inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI) and non-fungible token (NFT) related artwork, these acquisitions join esteemed halls that house iconic pieces, including Andy Warhol's soup cans and Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night."
MoMA has also been at the forefront of integrating technology and art, as seen in its 1968 exhibition titled "The Machine as Seen at the End of the Mechanical Age" and the recent "Signals: How Video Transformed the World.". Along with these new acquisitions, MoMA unveiled its digital art programming for the upcoming fall and winter seasons including video artist Leslie Thornton’s work, “HANDMADE” (2023), and a virtual exhibition with Feral File scheduled to open next year. Concurrent with these announcements, MoMA introduced its on-chain Postcard project.
These endeavors reaffirm MoMA's dedication to encouraging artists who utilize emerging technologies to broaden their creative horizons, maximize their impact and assist in comprehending rapid global changes, as stated by the Museum.
Cheng, expressing his pride at the selection, commended MoMA's exceptional open-mindedness and enthusiasm for acquiring dynamic digital art. The artist also recalled MoMA's previous acquisition in 2017, his 'Emissaries' trilogy of simulations.
Anadol's Google artist-in-residence recognized piece, "Unsupervised – Machine Hallucinations," is a pervasive and mind-bending machine-learning abstraction. Developed with assistance from Nvidia, it uses an algorithm to generate an AI imagination of art history, synthesizing 138,151 pieces of visual metadata from MoMA’s collection. Despite polarized views, Anadol has gained fame and a significant following of admirers and collectors. This recognition led MoMA to extend the display of Anadol’s 24-foot tall installation multiple times before it was taken down on October 29.
The inclusion of Anadol's work at MoMA was made viable by the enthusiasm of prominent NFT collector and founder of 1 OF 1, Ryan Zurrer, and the "RFC Collection," helmed by Pablo Rodriguez-Fraile and Desiree Casoni. Zurrer commended MoMA for capturing the cultural zeitgeist of the moment. He explained that the NFT is one part of this conceptual artwork that now belongs to MoMA, thanks to Refik Anadol's provision of the necessary hardware.
On the other hand, Cheng avoids branding altogether, focusing instead on exploring psychology through innovative technologies. Cheng's "3FACE" is a generative project with 4,096 unique editions, dynamically reflecting the changes in their owners by using data extracted from their wallets. According to MoMA, it’s his “most ambitious experimental artwork to date to explore blockchain technologies and the decentralization of data”, expanding Cheng’s fascination with humans' ability to adapt to change.
Outland Art, the NFT platform, donated a "3FACE" to MoMA's collection. But, as with 'Unsupervised', information about which specific '3FACE' piece or to which wallet it belongs is not available.
Historically, groundbreaking and controversial art forms like photography necessitated a reassessment of the value of art. Generative art continues to pose similar questions in this era. As technology perpetually advances, artists' deftness in harnessing it determines what is merely visually stimulating and what impacts deeply. This paradigm is evident in the distinct approaches of Anadol and Cheng to AI art, using data predominantly while producing resonant questions about art history and human psychology.
Large museums, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Centre Pompidou, initiated the trend of collecting NFTs during their surge in popularity. MoMA's decision to follow suit marks a pivotal point in the recognition of such artworks.
As technological advances pave the way for visually refined expressions, Cheng predicts the artistic agency of a wider array of individuals will be unlocked in the coming decade, promoting diversity within the art world.
Published At
11/15/2023 2:03:00 PM
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