A century ago, Marcel Duchamp revolutionized the art world by introducing a urinal into the exhibition hall, transforming art from merely a visual experience to a conceptual expression. This bold move liberated art from traditional constraints, allowing audiences to contemplate the essence of art from various perspectives.
Prompt IS Art
On April 14, 2023, a groundbreaking exhibition opened in Chelsea, New York, that would transform our understanding of art and its relationship with technology. Silicon Valley-based artist MetaCher continues to push artistic boundaries by incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) prompts into the gallery as an integrated artwork. With AI rapidly advancing, artistic creation is no longer confined to human actions and ideas. Instead, more artists and individuals can create art through interactions with Artificial Intelligence. This unconventional art form challenges traditional definitions and notions of art. MetaCher captures the zeitgeist of today’s world by presenting prompt words as artworks, becoming the first artist to propose the concept of “Prompt IS Art”-an important artistic breakthrough poised to shake up the world.
In an era of image proliferation, it is crucial to contemplate the meaning behind images. MetaCher’s works provide us with such contemplation; her works are not just art pieces, but also expressions of thought and reflections of socio-cultural phenomena.
Imagination IS Key
The exhibition, titled “/Imagine…Prompt IS Key,” features an artwork series that questions the meaning behind Artificial Intelligence, prompts, and the creative process. Shockingly and unconventionally, the inspiration for this exhibition came 10 days prior to the opening, and the entire curation process took only 3 days. MetaCher shared her thoughts on the swift creation of the exhibition, “After the concept ‘prompt is art’ came to me, I felt compelled to bring this idea and the exhibition to life. This exhibition was conceived in just ten days and realized in three. I enjoyed the process of sharing and communicating this fresh idea with the public through an exhibition.”
The Thinking Behind AI
MetaCher in front of her work “/Imagine…”
Instead of showing the AI-generated artwork she plays around with every day, MetaCher decided to remove the omnipotent surface and just leave the core prompt itself as her art to show and share with the public. By doing so, she allows audiences to experience the limitless creation possibilities of AI in an explorative manner. According to MetaCher, “The definition of art should change with the times, and prompt words as art itself represents the unique texture and imagination of our era.”
During her creative process, MetaCher reduced the art concept from image to prompt words, eventually generating images integral to the core prompts generated by early AI-software Midjourney using the “/imagine…” prompt. Through “/Imagine,” a minimalist visual style is employed, placing emphasis on the vast imaginative space generated by AI technology. This innovative approach reflects an intersection between Eastern aesthetics and the thinking behind the cutting-edge AI technology, exemplifying the bold reimagination of artistic possibilities. MetaCher spoke about her choice of the minimalist visual style: “I wanted to emphasize the power of imagination and the role it plays in shaping our perception of art. By stripping down the visuals, I encourage the audience to focus on the essence of the concept and the limitless potential of human creativity.”
The chosen OCR A font, designed for both human and computer recognition. This font selection is not only a visual expression of human-machine coexistence, but also a historical representation that echoes the artist’s theme of contemplating human-AI coexistence in this exhibition.
MetaCher further elaborated on the role of AI in her work, “Artificial intelligence has opened up new possibilities for artistic creation, and it’s exciting to be at the forefront of this movement.”
From Silicon Valley to NFT.NYC
The installation, “/Imagine…01”, encompasses various electronic devices
In the exhibition, MetaCher’s use of various electronic devices that she used to engage with, including midi controllers, iPads, laptops, cameras, and televisions, and the incorporation of AI-generated digital video art further illustrate the artist’s proficiency in leveraging technology to push the boundaries of art. The digital piece is composed of linearly generated “/Imagine” text that subtly changes in response to the surrounding ambient sounds. The screens in the installation all display the “/Imagine” theme of the exhibition, emphasizing the significance of the artwork in another form.
The Curation
A viewer contemplates the Exhibition Statement
Curating this exhibition is Qiang Li, a contemporary visual artist living and working in Beijing and New York. Li gained fame in the early 1990s with his Tearing Books series, expressing the uncertainty and vulnerability of the current era through the act of tearing. His works have been collected by prestigious institutions worldwide, including the National Art Museum of China, the CAFA Art Museum, and the White Rabbit Gallery in Australia.
“Just as art evolved a hundred years ago when Duchamp brought a urinal into the exhibition, it has become more than just a visual experience but an expression of concepts and ideas. With this in mind, we are thrilled to showcase the art of MetaCher, a young Silicon Valley-based artist whose work reflects a deeper sense of thinking behind the omnipotent images of AI.” said Qiang Li.
Tell me your Prompts
What’s most innovative about the exhibition is that, throughout the exhibition, MetaCher invites the audience to participate in the creative process by contributing their own “prompts”. MetaCher collects these prompts and plans to showcase AI-generated artworks based on them in an upcoming exhibition in Tokyo in June, as she said, “By involving the audience in the creation of new artworks, I aim to break down the barriers between artist and viewer and to foster a sense of shared ownership and connection.” In addition to the physical exhibition, MetaCher has also created a parallel exhibition in the metaverse, expanding the possibilities of experiencing the artwork and providing an alternative avenue for those who cannot attend in person.
Guest Lecture
The guest lecture during the exhibition
During the exhibition, a guest lecture was organized, featuring notable attendees such as Wendy, a senior media professional and co-founder of NewsBlock, a Web3 media company; Timmy, a New York-based producer, curator, and AIGC artist; and Ling Jia, an artificial intelligence research engineer at Bloomberg. They shared their insights on the future of AI in creative and applied fields.
When asked about the importance of imagination, MetaCher stated that, “The reason I stress the significance of “/Imagine” is because my entire exhibition originates from my own imagination and ideas. It was this spark that drove me to swiftly bring the exhibition to life with such determination. I want to underscore the value of this original driving force, and I have proven its importance through my actions.”
The End As The Beginning
Artist MetaCher and the audience standing in front of the art “/Imagine…”
As this exhibition comes to a close, it leaves a lasting impression on the art world, reshaping our understanding of the boundaries between humans and AI, and the role of imagination in fueling innovation. MetaCher’s groundbreaking exhibition marks a new chapter in the history of art, proving that the fusion of creativity, technology, and collaboration can lead to unimaginable realms of artistic expression. In the footsteps of Duchamp’s revolutionary urinal, MetaCher’s thought-provoking and participatory exhibition serves as a testament to the ever-evolving power of art, transcending barriers and inspiring generations to come.
The exhibition is supported by: LuluLand, a metaverse entertainment company based in The Sandbox Estate (0,24) and LuluLand World ALIF in New York. OMG.Art, a Crypto Voxel metaverse entertainment company headquartered in Crypto Voxel (San Francisco) and OMG.Art World ALIF in San Francisco. METABIT, a company with the goal of developing a large-scale commercial high-performance blockchain platform, working with top academic research and blockchain technology experts.
Media ContactCompany Name: Underground Art And Design LLCContact Person: Jess DengEmail: Send EmailPhone: 5512479739Country: United StatesWebsite: https://www.metacher.art
