Prankster With a Cause Sneaks AI Artwork Into UK Museum

"An unsolicited digital print hung undetected for several hourson the walls of the National Museum Cardiff in Wales after it was installed by a conceptual artist in the museum's contemporary art wing. Later revealed to be AI-generated, Elias Marrow's "Empty Plate" (2024) bamboozled museum visitors and staff alike, as no one could explain its presence. The print emulates an oil portrait of a nondescript young boy in a school uniform, holding a bare plate on his lap with a dour expression."

"In an email to Hyperallergic, Marrow, whose email signature identifies him as "Conceptual Artist. Cultural Surgeon," said he conceived the premise last year when he made some sketches related to rising hunger and poverty in the United Kingdom and Wales, noting that they're "subjects close to my heart." With regards to incorporating AI, the artist explained to the that he believes it is "here to stay," and that "gatekeep[ing] its capability would be against the beliefs I hold dear about art.""

An unsolicited digital print titled "Empty Plate" (2024) was installed without permission on the walls of the National Museum Cardiff contemporary wing and remained undetected for several hours. The image emulates an oil portrait of a young boy in a school uniform holding a bare plate with a dour expression. Visual clues such as a jumbled alphabet on the uniform logo and an overall yellowish tinge indicate generative AI despite some realistic details. The premise grew from sketches about rising hunger and poverty in the United Kingdom and Wales. A 2024 report found a quarter of surveyed UK participants struggled to feed their children in the past year. The intervention follows prior unauthorized gallery insertions that probe how cultural value is created and displayed.

Read at Hyperallergic