Algorithm Creates Artwork Worth $ 432,500

Art has been evolving ever since the beginning of time. Cave pictures which many still remain as mystery, aristocratic-looking Renaissance paintings from the likes of Michelangelo, impressionist water lilies of Monet, abstract dark paintings of Pollock that witnessed depressing times of the century, experimental performances of Yoko Ono who used her own body as a work of art and a variety of Campbell Soups by Warhol… So yes, art is a shape shifting, dynamic and from time to time, an abstract concept. You are probably thinking that we have seen all kinds of art until today and I can’t blame you for that. But, what if this is not the case?

2000s has been the start of a new era in the history of humankind in a unique way. The effect of an invention called “internet” made its presence felt immensely. In the light of technological advances, our lives have changed forever. Today we have apps that we use for transportation, to order grocery, to connect, to network, to study and to follow the news. According to www.techjury.net the Internet user of today spends an average of 2 hours and 22 minutes socializing online. Even artists today, who are considered the “cream of society”, promote themselves through online channels, in order to make their voice heard. Many contemporary art pieces now include holograms, and virtual reality goggles as part of the artwork itself.

When all of our lives are conquered by technology, how can we expect less for art?

In 2018, despite all these changes in the art industry, an extraordinary event occurred at Christie’s, New York. An AI generated painting was sold for $432,500, when in fact it was expected to be sold for $10,000. In other words, an algorithm trained by a group called “obvious art” created a painting named “Edmond de Belamy, from La Famille de Belamy” which is a pretty fancy name for the work of an algorithm. Moreover, just a week before this transaction, a work of iconic artist Andy Warhol was sold for $75,000, which is way less than “Edmond de Belamy, from La Famille de Belamy”.

It is for sure that the future holds a lot of unexpected events thanks to technology. Right now, there are limits to what AI can achieve. But who knows, maybe someday programmers will overthrow the artists?

If you would like to check more about the art collective, you can check their website obvious-art.com .