Conceptual art has never been easy to understand. This secret offspring of Dada, Surrealism and abstract art seems determined to baffle art audiences for over a century. But now, with the advent of generative artificial intelligence, a new movement is emerging, further challenging our notions of creativity and the meaning of art: Algography. Have you already heard of it? Algography refers to any graphical presentation that has been prepared using algorithmic data. Look in the "new art forms" drawer, and without turning up your nose, let's talk about it together.
Conceptual art and the importance of the idea
Being an artist means questioning what art is
Joseph Kosuth
Before we dive into the world of Algography, let's take a step back and consider conceptual art. As the name suggests, in conceptual art the idea (or concept) behind the work is more important than the finished art object. Emerging as an art movement in the 60s, conceptual art has its roots in the readymades of Marcel Duchamp and in his provocative display of a urinal in a gallery. Joseph Kosuth, one of the pioneers of conceptual art, argued that the essence of art lies in the idea behind it, not in the physical object. His works, such as the “First Investigations” series, which included dictionary definitions of words such as “water,” “meaning,” and “idea,” aimed to question the traditional value of art objects and their status special in museums.
Today, in the time of AI, conceptual art is about to experience a totally new page of its existence.
The advent of generative art and algography
Let's define precisely, so there are no misunderstandings: generative art is a type of art created, in whole or in part, by an autonomous system. This system, which is not human, can make decisions about details of the art that would normally be made by the artist. This is where Algography comes in, fusing the idea of using autonomous systems to generate art with the conceptual art movement's focus on ideas and concepts over traditional aesthetic and material concerns.
Just as conceptual art emphasizes the idea behind the work, generative art, and in particular Algography, focuses on the process and ideas behind the final result. It is the creative process, the intentional choices and exploratory turns along the way that are crucial, not just the finished output. This, I believe, dispels any possible doubt about the fact that art produced with AI can also be defined as art. Can. I'll say more: Algography invites us to rethink the very essence of art in the digital age. He challenges traditional notions of creativity, pushing the boundaries of individual and commercial creation.
Algography: a journey of cocreation
It's not just about creating, it's about exploring, harnessing the vast creative legacies of the past to unlock uncharted futures. Have you ever "walked" on the Alpha site di midjourney AI? It is reserved for those who have generated at least 1000 images with that platform. And it offers crazy tools for defining and creating all sorts of images. This also includes increasingly greater weight and control on the part of the user. In a curious counterintuitive process: the more “skilled” artificial intelligence becomes at generating images, the more developers also provide those who use it with ways to control and direct it.
This approach responds to criticisms of generative AI, which is often accused of violating artists' rights and creativity. Art, as it has always been, evolves from its historical and collective roots to nurture future generations. It embodies the notion that, like wine that matures over time, generative AI also enriches the cultural landscape in ways that were not conceivable before.
In Algography, the journey of cocreation (collaborative creation) is fundamental, marking a turning point compared to conventional artistic creation. Here, the artist and the AI enter into a partnership, where each choice is a step into uncharted territory. This collaborative process (already seen, indeed, in the literary field) is a dance with the unknown. He brings together fragments of the familiar to trace new artistic paths.
The expanding (artistic) Universe
The essence of Algography lies in its iterative nature, a constant flow of decisions that echoes the philosophical reflections of Borges's “Garden of Forking Paths” (have you read it?). Like Borges' labyrinth of time, where every possible path exists simultaneously, Algography operates in a realm where every artistic direction (past, present, and future) converges. For this reason it stands as a testimony to the power of collaboration between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence. It shows that the future of art lies not in the solitary act of creation, but in the collective effort to understand, reinterpret and innovate the works that have shaped our cultural identity.
Readers will witness the execution of a crime whose purpose they are not unaware of, but which they will not understand, it seems to me, until the last paragraph.
JLBorges, “The Garden of Forking Paths”
He champions a future in which generative AI catalyzes creativity, helping us explore the previously inconceivable potential of art, and, in doing so, offers a compelling rebuttal to his critics. This approach transforms skepticism into a recognition that Algography, through its synthesis of past and future, human and machine, represents a profound expansion of what art can be.
Algography is (or is it?) the future of art
The "why" of Algography, I think I have reiterated it enough, lies in its ability to question and explore the essence and possibilities of art, making it a crucial movement in the evolution of art itself. It transcends simple classifications, suggesting that the value and impact of art cannot be defined by traditional categories alone, but by its ability to provoke thought, evoke emotion, and reflect or shape social values and perspectives. You can fear generative AI. You can ignore it, belittle it, hate it. Or you can love it. It makes no difference: you still live in the age of Algography.
It's not a passing fad. It's a force to be reckoned with, a movement that promises to redefine our relationship with art and technology. And very soon you will see the tangible effects.
