Photo London has always showcased new developments in the field, and this year’s visitors can expect to see something that can only be a sign of the times. Several photographs partially created using AI were included in the eighth edition, which opened to the public at Somerset House on May 11.
Exhibiting with the Michael Hoppen Gallery, London-based Israeli photographer Ori Gersht experimented with the technology by taking photos of still life scenes inspired by 17th-century Dutch painting but at low resolution, then enlarging the works using the AI to fill in missing details.
“To illustrate this fusion between the real and the artificial, I often use the analogy of a stretched stocking: where the fabric is the photograph of the real event and the holes are the missing information,” said Gersht. . “The more the fabric is stretched, the larger the gaps become, prompting the software to analyze the photographs and use its acquired knowledge to consider missing data and fill in the gaps.”
Ori Gercht, Melting time 04 (2022). Photo courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery, London.
Lisbon gallery Artemis presents the works of Berlin duo kennedy+swan who, in their own words, “(ab)use” AI alongside a range of digital tools in animated works like live• in vitro • silicone (2023), which examines the implications of Xenobots, programmable nanoparticles that could one day be used to cure disease. The work raises critical questions: Are advanced tech solutions like these hackable? Or how will the data they collect be used? In doing so, he demonstrates that emerging technologies are naturally the best way to explore… emerging technologies.
The existence of AI-generated photo-style images has been controversial from the very moment they were conceived, raising concerns about how they could impact artists’ livelihoods. Earlier this month, artist Molly Crabapple addressed publishers with a open letter urging them to limit their use of this type of image.
Memorable headlines from recent times include the odd black and white image Electrician (2022), generated in the style of Robert Ballen, which was submitted to the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 and won a cash prize of $5,000. An online dissent outcry was also sparked by Amnesty International’s decision to illustrate a new report on police brutality in Colombia with an AI-generated image of a protester.
kennedy+swan, in vivo in vitro in silico. Photo courtesy of Artemis Gallery.
Photo London organizers, however, pointed out that photographers have generally used AI to improve their work rather than create a new image from scratch.
Even in the case of Maisie Cousins, whose solo show at the TJ Boulting Gallery includes works generated entirely using AI, the images complement her traditional photography. The garish, bright images manage to evoke distant memories and lost feelings of childhood in a way that is less nostalgic than oddly grotesque. Although the scenes have a universally recognizable quality (at least to British audiences) reminiscent of photographer Martin Parr, they specifically reference Cousin’s trips with his grandfather to the now defunct Blobbyland amusement park.
“Scientific and technological experimentation is an integral part of the DNA of photography. From the early days of the medium until today, photographers have pushed the boundaries of what is possible using the latest tools and techniques to capture or distort images,” said new fair director Kamiar Maleki. .
“Photo London is committed to presenting an exciting mix of galleries showcasing the best of photography’s past, present and future. This will inevitably include contemporary artists working with AI, whether conceptually or as part of a larger toolkit where the technology is used to augment and merge with an artist’s own vision.
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