DEM'ARTS cross-disciplinary seminar-Second Session

Lev Manovich

Artist/Presidential Professor, City University of New York (CUNY).

“ ‘Make it New’: AI, Modernism, and Database Art”

In this lecture, I explore surprising parallels between generative AI art and a number of 20th century artistic movements. Although generative AI and modernist art may appear to be exact opposites (one based on training data of existing art, the other focused on "making
it new"), I will show how they share a surprising similarity in their underlying logic. While modernist artists explicitly opposed traditions, we'll explore how their approach to innovation parallels contemporary AI art in unexpected ways. This discussion will challenge existing assumptions about both historical avant-garde movements and cutting-edge technology in art creation, offering new perspectives on artistic innovation across different eras.

Suggested materials for the audience :

• Lev Manovich and Emanuele Arielli, Artificial Aesthetics: Generative AI, Art and Visual Media

Chapter 5 - Seven Arguments about AI Images and Generative Media, Lev Manovich. Published April 20, 2023.