AI Aesthetics: “Unreliable Memories” by Lev Manovich

Authors

  • Catarina Lira Pereira University of Lisbon image/svg+xml
  • Domingos Loureiro instituto de investigação em arte design e sociedade
  • Diana Costa University of Lisbon image/svg+xml

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5965/244712671022024156

Keywords:

art and technology, generative art, artificial intelligence, Lev Manovich, synthetic memory

Abstract

This study focuses on the intersection between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and contemporary art. It centers on Lev Manovich’s exhibition Unreliable Memories as a case study, aiming to analyze how Manovich uses AI to expand the visual and conceptual boundaries of art, as well as the reliability of synthetic representations produced by these technologies. The document is divided into three main parts. It begins with a comprehensive theoretical contextualization on the aesthetics of AI and the challenges associated with artistic creation using image generation tools. Next, it analyzes the exhibition itself, describing the various series of works, from hand-drawn pieces of the 1980s to recent AI-generated creations – covering specific series such as Drawing Rooms and In the Garden – with visual peculiarities and imperfections that reflect the ephemeral and fragmented nature of memory. Finally, it discusses how the imperfections and peculiarities of AI-generated images reflect the fallibility of memory, challenging traditional perceptual norms. This research provides relevant insights into AI Aesthetics for the artistic and academic community, laying the groundwork for future academic and artistic investigations in the field.

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Author Biographies

Catarina Lira Pereira, University of Lisbon

Catarina Lira Pereira holds the title of Specialist in Fine Arts. She is a PhD candidate in Fine Arts, specialising in Painting, at FBAUL and an FCT Scholarship holder - Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., with the project 2023.01180.BD. She is an Invited Adjunct Professor at ECIA – IPLUSO, Lisbon, Portugal. She is a collaborating member of CIEBA and I2ADS.

Domingos Loureiro, instituto de investigação em arte design e sociedade

Domingos Loureiro holds a PhD in Art and Design from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Porto, Portugal. He is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Painting section at FBAUP in the same Faculty. He is an Integrated Member of I2ADS.

Diana Costa, University of Lisbon

Diana Costa holds a PhD in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lisbon. She is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Painting department in the Doctoral Programme in Fine Arts at the same Faculty. She is an Integrated Member and coordinator of the Painting group at CIEBA.

References

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BELVEDERE MUSEUM. Lev Manovich | Das Kunstmuseum im digitalen Zeitalter – 2024. YouTube, 3 Mai. 2024. Disponível em: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXR-B2URidw&t=256s. Acesso em: 18 jun. 2024.

DONNARUMMA, Marco. Against the norm: othering and otherness In AI aesthetics. Digital Culture & Society, v. 8. n. 2, p. 39-66. 2022.

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MANOVICH, Lev. Separate and reassemble: Generative AI through the lens of art and media histories. In: MANOVICH, Lev & ARIELLI, Emanuele. Artificial aesthetics: A critical guide to AI, media and design. 2024a

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MANOVICH, Lev. In: FERREIRA, José Alberto (Ed.). Unreliable memories: Lev Manovich. Évora: Fundação Eugénio de Almeida. 2024b. p. 25-74, 99-133.

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Published

2024-10-02

How to Cite

PEREIRA, Catarina Lira; LOUREIRO, Domingos; COSTA, Diana. AI Aesthetics: “Unreliable Memories” by Lev Manovich. Revista Apotheke, Florianópolis, v. 10, n. 2, p. 156–173, 2024. DOI: 10.5965/244712671022024156. Disponível em: https://revistas.udesc.br/index.php/apotheke/article/view/25733. Acesso em: 31 oct. 2024.

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 2 (10): Between approaches, methods and methodologies in artistic practice in visual arts

Section

Artigos Seção temática

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Catarina Lira Pereira, Diana Costa, Domingos Loureiro

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