Blurring the Lines: Art at the Intersection of Human and Artificial Creativity

Exhibition: September 3–November 16, 2024

Gallery hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 12–4pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Reception: Friday, September 6, 6–8pm, Grunwald Gallery

Gallery Talks
Wednesday, October 30, 10:30am–12pm, Grunwald Gallery
Adam Chau
Johann Diedrick
Megan Young

Roundtable Discussion
Wednesday, October 30, 1:30–3pm, Grunwald Gallery
Moderator: Ed Dallis-Comentale
Participants: Adam Chau, Johann Diedrick, Megan Young (Lecturer, Digital Art), Rachel Plotnick (Associate Professor, Media School), and Joanna Woronkowicz (Associate Professor, O’Neil School)

"Blurring the Lines: Art at the Intersection of Human and Artificial Creativity" showcases works that explore the evolving relationship between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence. The exhibition highlights ways in which artists engage with AI technologies, reshaping our understanding of artistic practice, consciousness, and identity.

Some pieces examine the boundaries between biological and artificial entities. Scientists from Tufts University and the University of Vermont present Xenobots—tiny programmable organisms developed with AI and made from living cells—challenging conventional definitions of life and creativity. Kexin Liu's 3607-Bacterial Soundscape merges microbiology with AI-generated audio, turning invisible microbial interactions into an immersive auditory experience. Ai-Da Robot's Self-Portrait questions the nature of imagination and selfhood in the age of AI.

Other works address the societal impacts of AI. Johann Diedrick's Dark Matters investigates the absence of Black voices in AI training data, using a dynamic dark void to symbolize this exclusion and its broader implications. Dennis Delgado's Dark Database confronts biases embedded in AI facial recognition systems. I.A. Suzie by Lauren Lee McCarthy and David Leonard explores the role of AI in elder care, raising questions about technology and human interaction. Megan Young's carry:root investigates themes of displacement and memory through an interactive chatbot that engages with narratives of migration and cultural identity.  Ross Goodwin's 1 the Road and word.camera confront traditional notions of authorship by using AI to compose narratives—a novel written during a road trip and poetic texts automatically generated from photos—offering literary interpretations of the visual and experiential world through the lens of an AI.

The exhibition also highlights AI's capacity to alter creative outputs and probes the intersection of AI and perception. Through works that question how machines interpret and generate beauty, artists call attention to the dual role of AI, an analytical tool and a medium for artistic expression. Adam Chau's Generated Love reimagines Ming Dynasty porcelain with counterfactual AI-generated imagery. Trevor Paglen's Bloom series repurposes computer vision algorithms to produce vibrant floral images, prompting viewers to critically engage with the influence of AI on culture, aesthetics, and the politics of representation.

The exhibition explores novel forms of performance and interaction between humans and machines. Sougwen Chung's system D.O.U.G and Jake Elwes' The Zizi Show-A Deepfake Drag Cabaret highlight this dynamic interplay. Margaret Dolinsky and Chi Wang’s Entangled Embrace: Echoes of Intimacy uses AI to probe the complexities of human connections, while Joon Sung Park's Smallville introduces a virtual space where viewers and autonomous AI agents co-create evolving interactions, reconsidering traditional notions of art, authorship, and social engagement.

"Blurring the Lines: Art at the Intersection of Human and Artificial Intelligence" invites viewers to consider the impact of AI on art and society. Through diverse approaches and media, the exhibition draws attention to opportunities and challenges of this new frontier in artistic practice. Mario Klingemann's Appropriate Response engages viewers in a reflective ritual, inviting us to consider technology as a search for meaning and wisdom and questioning perceptions of machine-generated insight and the emotional ramifications of digital interactions.

By presenting works that push the boundaries between biological and artificial entities, highlight societal consequences, and showcase the role of AI across a range of media, the exhibition encourages reflection on the evolving role of AI in creativity and its implications for the future of art and society.

Read more at our news page.

About Arts and Humanities AI + Digital Futures

“Blurring the Lines” has been realized through the IU Arts and Humanities AI + Digital Futures initiative, launched by the IU Research Office in the fall of 2023 to investigate the impact of technology on a broad spectrum of programs. The initiative involves collaboration among the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, the Media School, the Eskenazi School, and faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences and IU Indianapolis.