Arron Teo
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore
HUMAN IMAGINATES, AI HALLUCINATES: The Journey into Hyperreality, Visual Dissonance and Southeast Asia Wet Market
How do we adapt as artists in an era of rapid technological change? What does it mean to co-create with machines? And how do we navigate the blurred boundaries of authenticity and fiction in hyperreal narratives? In this presentation, I will share my ambition to recreate photorealistic Southeast Asian wet markets through AI image generation fuelled by my memory and personal experience as prompts, I sought to recreate narratives of these culturally rich spaces.
However, the AI Hallucinated- generating imperfections and unintended elements; a stark distance from the images I envisioned. Instead of discarding these imperfections, I began to notice the silver lining; AI hallucination as a creative opportunity. I realized that the unintended outcomes revealed the gaps in AI’s dataset—its limitations mirroring my own vulnerability as an artist. This epiphany transformed my perspective, and I began to co-create with the AI, treating its hallucinations as 'raw ingredients' for new artistic directions. The image, paradoxical yet thought-provoking, became a starting point for hyperreality and visual dissonance. The presentation will also deliberate on 'Who is the artist now? What’s the value & purpose of it? Is using AI to make art ethical?'
BIO
Arron Teo is a Singaporean artist, photographer, and educator with over 20 years in art and photography. He is currently pursuing an MFA at the University of the Arts Singapore. Known for his portraits and photo-documentary work, his images have been exhibited
internationally and featured in various publications. Named one of Prestige Magazine’s “Seven Artists to Watch” in 2007, he has worked with celebrities, government ministries, and corporate clients worldwide.
In recent years, Arron’s practice has evolved to explore the intersection of AI and visual storytelling. Drawing from his background in street photography, he investigates the concept of AI hallucination—how machine generated imagery can subvert reality and challenge authenticity. His ongoing project, WTFish Wonderland, examines the hyperreality of Southeast Asian wet markets through the co-creation between human imagination and AI’s unpredictable output.
As an educator with over 17 years of experience, Arron is passionate about fostering critical discourse around emerging technologies in art. He is currently an Adjunct Lecturer at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, where he teaches 2D Visual Art and Photography to tertiary students, bridging traditional photographic practices with contemporary digital methodologies.
ARTWORK [8]
Welcome to WTFish Wonderland, 2024
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Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore
HUMAN IMAGINATES, AI HALLUCINATES: The Journey into Hyperreality, Visual Dissonance and Southeast Asia Wet Market
How do we adapt as artists in an era of rapid technological change? What does it mean to co-create with machines? And how do we navigate the blurred boundaries of authenticity and fiction in hyperreal narratives? In this presentation, I will share my ambition to recreate photorealistic Southeast Asian wet markets through AI image generation fuelled by my memory and personal experience as prompts, I sought to recreate narratives of these culturally rich spaces.
However, the AI Hallucinated- generating imperfections and unintended elements; a stark distance from the images I envisioned. Instead of discarding these imperfections, I began to notice the silver lining; AI hallucination as a creative opportunity. I realized that the unintended outcomes revealed the gaps in AI’s dataset—its limitations mirroring my own vulnerability as an artist. This epiphany transformed my perspective, and I began to co-create with the AI, treating its hallucinations as 'raw ingredients' for new artistic directions. The image, paradoxical yet thought-provoking, became a starting point for hyperreality and visual dissonance. The presentation will also deliberate on 'Who is the artist now? What’s the value & purpose of it? Is using AI to make art ethical?'
BIO
Arron Teo is a Singaporean artist, photographer, and educator with over 20 years in art and photography. He is currently pursuing an MFA at the University of the Arts Singapore. Known for his portraits and photo-documentary work, his images have been exhibited
internationally and featured in various publications. Named one of Prestige Magazine’s “Seven Artists to Watch” in 2007, he has worked with celebrities, government ministries, and corporate clients worldwide.
In recent years, Arron’s practice has evolved to explore the intersection of AI and visual storytelling. Drawing from his background in street photography, he investigates the concept of AI hallucination—how machine generated imagery can subvert reality and challenge authenticity. His ongoing project, WTFish Wonderland, examines the hyperreality of Southeast Asian wet markets through the co-creation between human imagination and AI’s unpredictable output.
As an educator with over 17 years of experience, Arron is passionate about fostering critical discourse around emerging technologies in art. He is currently an Adjunct Lecturer at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, where he teaches 2D Visual Art and Photography to tertiary students, bridging traditional photographic practices with contemporary digital methodologies.
ARTWORK [8]
Welcome to WTFish Wonderland, 2024
<< previous | next >>