Grunwald Gallery announces international call for artworks integrating AI

Through May 10, the Grunwald Gallery of Art at the Indiana University Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design is welcoming proposals from artists around the world for works of art that utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to explore new processes and forms of creativity.

Opening September 6, 2024, “Blurring the Lines: Art at the Intersection of Human and Artificial Creativity” will showcase a selection of artworks by artists who are extending the current limits of art, technically and conceptually. Works in the exhibition will present distinct approaches and some unconventional integrations of AI, inviting viewers to consider the role of technology in art and culture.

The exhibition is a project of Arts and Humanities AI + Digital Futures, a cross-disciplinary initiative at IU comprising faculty from the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design, the Media School, the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, and the Herron School of Art + Design at Indiana University-Indianapolis. Funding for the exhibition comes from the IU Bloomington Arts and Humanities Council through the Public Arts and Humanities Project.

Artworks in all mediums will be considered, including evolving generative works, interactive installations, and traditional art forms. Curators seek to showcase projects that transcend conventionally defined artistic genres and media and challenge our preconceptions of art itself.

“In some projects, algorithms may function as a feature, in some they are a part of a larger process, and in others still, the technology may exist as an end in and of itself,” said co-curator Caleb Weintraub, associate professor of painting. “This exhibition assumes an expansive view of art -- some projects may be as much about science and computing as they are about aesthetics and experience.”

While works will originate in disparate disciplines, those chosen will be linked through their innovative and often unlikely integration of machine learning and related technologies in the creative process. The exhibition will also comprise works that evince apprehension of AI and its real-world impacts on labor, ethics, and creativity.

More information and a link to the submission portal is available at https://eskenazi.indiana.edu/exhibitions/grunwald-gallery/call-for-entries/index.html. Applications may be submitted until May 10 at midnight EST, and artists will be notified of their inclusion by June 1. The exhibition will be installed August 5 through 23, open with a reception on September 6, and remain on view through November 16

“‘Blurring the Lines’ is a unique opportunity to explore the changing relationship between human artists and AI,” said co-curator Linda Tien, director of the Grunwald Gallery. “The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on what it means to be creative in the digital age and to consider the future of art in a world where humans and machines are increasingly working together.”

“There will be a lot to be gained from visiting the artworks in person,” said co-curator Caleb Weintraub, associate professor of painting. “Some pieces may respond to visitors’ presence and actions. AI art is much more than generated images or videos that we encounter on the internet. Our hope is that visitors have more understanding of how AI exists in the world, as well as more awareness of how broad its reach and implications are.”