AI-generated art takes center stage at Frieze London

AI and Technology Redefine Art at Frieze London: The 2024 Frieze London art fair showcases groundbreaking digital artworks that blend artificial intelligence, multimedia installations, and interactive experiences, pushing the boundaries of contemporary art.

Immersive video art explores climate change: John Akomfrah’s “Becoming Wind” (2023) offers a thought-provoking experience at the LG OLED Lounge.

• The five-channel video piece, displayed on OLED screens with surround sound, meditates on themes of the Garden of Eden, human loss, and climate change effects.
• The 30-minute sequence combines monochromatic and full-color clips of diverse landscapes and urban scenes, interwoven with evolving text statements.
• The installation provides a stark contrast to the bustling fair environment, inviting visitors to engage in a contemplative experience.

Holographic animations captivate viewers: Jacolby Satterwhite’s “New World Order” (2023-24) brings a mesmerizing visual and auditory experience to the Kadel Willborn gallery stand.

• The piece features diaphanous circular animated holograms accompanied by a pulsing, joyful soundtrack.
• This work builds upon Satterwhite’s 2023 multimedia commission for the Metropolitan Museum in New York, inspired by the ancient Buddhist Metta prayer.

AI-indexed imagery explores nature and technology: Katja Novitskova’s multimedia installation at the Temnikova & Kasela stand combines found imagery and AI-generated content.

• The fast-paced slideshow “Pattern of Activation (Gardens of the Galaxy)” (2023) showcases over 1,500 AI-indexed screenshots from wildlife cams and citizen science platforms.
• Novitskova contrasts this with “Earthware” (2023), a clay epoxy piece featuring an antelope captured by an automatic wildlife camera, overlaid with a poem about machine learning biases.

Digital manipulation critiques architectural history: Jaime Welsh’s work at the Madragoa gallery stand uses imaging software to transform large-format photographs into thought-provoking pieces.

• Welsh’s installation focuses on images of the former Banco Nacional Ultramarino in Lisbon, now repurposed as the Museu Design (Mude).
• The artist’s digital manipulations question whether buildings associated with authoritarian regimes can ever fully shed their historical connotations.

Interactive gaming installation wins Frieze Artist Award: Lawrence Lek’s “Guanyin: Confessions of a Former Carebot” (2024) combines sculpture and video game elements in an engaging installation.

• Visitors can either play the game or watch demonstrations, blurring the lines between interactive art and performance.
• The game narrative follows an AI robot caring for self-driving cars, exploring themes of work, frustration, and artificial intelligence.
• Lek’s decade-long experience in creating gaming environments contributes to the piece’s sophistication and appeal.

Broader implications for the art world: The prominence of technology-driven artworks at Frieze London 2024 signals a significant shift in the contemporary art landscape.

• These pieces demonstrate how AI, virtual reality, and interactive technologies are becoming integral tools for artistic expression and audience engagement.
• The fusion of traditional art forms with cutting-edge technology raises questions about the future of art creation, curation, and appreciation in an increasingly digital world.
• As these works gain recognition in prestigious art fairs, it may encourage more artists to explore the possibilities of AI and technology in their practice, potentially reshaping the art market and collector preferences.