MAK Han Feng
NIE / NTU Singapore
Discussing art ethics of the usage of AI models in environmental art practice via examining case studies of environmental art
As the development of larger databases and stronger AI-image models has progressed in recent years, it has been becoming more difficult to distinguish the artificial from reality. In the case of artwork, the usage of AI modelling creates a moral and ethical dilemma due to the unknown legality and ethics of the image sources used by the engines, and on later engines developed on pre-existing engines and databases.
This presentation will look at three case studies that involve AI in the production of its work, such as chatbots and synthography. Synthography refers to images that are artificial, photorealistic images that are not produced optically (Reinhuber, 2024). These case studies are contextually and visually examined in addition to the artist’s statement and expression, and looked at through the lens of art ethics, such as moderate moralism (Carroll, 1996, Carroll, 1998), ethics in narratives (Levinson, 1998), art and ethical criticism (Beardsmore, 1971), and environmental cost (Jääskeläinen et al., 2022). These will be discussed with the sustainable and ecological messages that the three case studies below provide.
The first case study is the web (2024), created by pattie beerens in collaboration with biologist possum Pete and photographer Rob Shepherd as an exploration into AI as a new form of meaning in beeren’s art practice. This series of images and text a conversation between the artist and ariadne, an AI chatbot powered by Gemini from Google that presents itself as a leaf curling spider, after clear definitions and frameworks set by beerens (beerens, 2024. https://www.beerens.net.au/the-web).
The second case study that will be examined is Large Nature Model: Coral by Refik Anadol (2024). This art piece is an exploration of the intersection of nature and technology to inspire new digital engagement with nature (Anadol, 2024. https://refikanadol.com/works/un-2024/) Anadol uses the Large Nature Model which is trained on ethically sourced data available from nature and developed by Refik Anadol Studio. Refik Anadol Studio consists of an internationally diverse and interdisciplinary team of artists, architects, data scientists and researchers. Through leveraging this model, this artwork seeks to focus on the responsible sourcing and preservation of natural data, while inviting viewers to engage the balance between human and nature, where development in future digital technologies such as AI could allow for a more intimate connection with nature. Anadol has also stated that his work is around 50/50 in terms of human input versus ai generation (Nurton, 2024. https://www.wipo.int/web/wipo-magazine/articles/painting-with-data-how-media-artist-refik-anadol-creates-art-using-generative-ai-67301).
(If there’s enough time) The last case study that will be looked at would be an ongoing creation by the author. Titled Building a Sinking Dwelling, a play on words by the essay from Martin Heidegger, titled Building, Thinking, Dwelling, Mak looks at rising water levels due to human impact as one of the results of degradation to mangroves in Singapore. He examines environmental art as a form of education that enables artists, students and teachers to 'dwell',
essentially preserving our natural heritage in a matter that's greater than our own take away. (Heidegger, 1971). In Building a Sinking Dwelling, Mak revisits mangrove locations that have been photographed as part of his project Twilight Strand (Mak, 2019), and rephotographs the locations physically to document repair or damage of the mangroves, or through AI-generation if the locations are either physically inaccessible or totally destroyed.. This series of works is set in a diptych of photographs, with the re-photographed mangroves shown on the right of previously photographed artwork with a time difference of 7 years.
In conclusion, the discussion with the artwork (and hopefully with the audience), would create an intellectually vibrant discourse between artists, educators and researchers with different personal and technical viewpoints of ethics in the case of AI-generated imagery, and that this might hopefully generate more interest and critical discussion in the ethical creation of art via AI-generation and ethical development of future image models.
BIO
Mak Han Feng is a photographer and art historian specialising in environmental art practice and photography history in Southeast Asia. Han Feng conducts research into ethnographic art practices and Southeast Asian art history, and explores the relationship between different communities and the environment.
Han Feng is currently a research associate at the Science of Learning in Education Centre at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and is currently working on research in interventions in education.
Han Feng holds a master’s in Asian Art Histories awarded by the University of London, and a BFA in photography from Nanyang Technological University. He has previously exhibited his art at the Pingyao International Photography Festival, China, and has presented at artist and curatorial panels both locally and overseas.
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NIE / NTU Singapore
Discussing art ethics of the usage of AI models in environmental art practice via examining case studies of environmental art
As the development of larger databases and stronger AI-image models has progressed in recent years, it has been becoming more difficult to distinguish the artificial from reality. In the case of artwork, the usage of AI modelling creates a moral and ethical dilemma due to the unknown legality and ethics of the image sources used by the engines, and on later engines developed on pre-existing engines and databases.
This presentation will look at three case studies that involve AI in the production of its work, such as chatbots and synthography. Synthography refers to images that are artificial, photorealistic images that are not produced optically (Reinhuber, 2024). These case studies are contextually and visually examined in addition to the artist’s statement and expression, and looked at through the lens of art ethics, such as moderate moralism (Carroll, 1996, Carroll, 1998), ethics in narratives (Levinson, 1998), art and ethical criticism (Beardsmore, 1971), and environmental cost (Jääskeläinen et al., 2022). These will be discussed with the sustainable and ecological messages that the three case studies below provide.
The first case study is the web (2024), created by pattie beerens in collaboration with biologist possum Pete and photographer Rob Shepherd as an exploration into AI as a new form of meaning in beeren’s art practice. This series of images and text a conversation between the artist and ariadne, an AI chatbot powered by Gemini from Google that presents itself as a leaf curling spider, after clear definitions and frameworks set by beerens (beerens, 2024. https://www.beerens.net.au/the-web).
The second case study that will be examined is Large Nature Model: Coral by Refik Anadol (2024). This art piece is an exploration of the intersection of nature and technology to inspire new digital engagement with nature (Anadol, 2024. https://refikanadol.com/works/un-2024/) Anadol uses the Large Nature Model which is trained on ethically sourced data available from nature and developed by Refik Anadol Studio. Refik Anadol Studio consists of an internationally diverse and interdisciplinary team of artists, architects, data scientists and researchers. Through leveraging this model, this artwork seeks to focus on the responsible sourcing and preservation of natural data, while inviting viewers to engage the balance between human and nature, where development in future digital technologies such as AI could allow for a more intimate connection with nature. Anadol has also stated that his work is around 50/50 in terms of human input versus ai generation (Nurton, 2024. https://www.wipo.int/web/wipo-magazine/articles/painting-with-data-how-media-artist-refik-anadol-creates-art-using-generative-ai-67301).
(If there’s enough time) The last case study that will be looked at would be an ongoing creation by the author. Titled Building a Sinking Dwelling, a play on words by the essay from Martin Heidegger, titled Building, Thinking, Dwelling, Mak looks at rising water levels due to human impact as one of the results of degradation to mangroves in Singapore. He examines environmental art as a form of education that enables artists, students and teachers to 'dwell',
essentially preserving our natural heritage in a matter that's greater than our own take away. (Heidegger, 1971). In Building a Sinking Dwelling, Mak revisits mangrove locations that have been photographed as part of his project Twilight Strand (Mak, 2019), and rephotographs the locations physically to document repair or damage of the mangroves, or through AI-generation if the locations are either physically inaccessible or totally destroyed.. This series of works is set in a diptych of photographs, with the re-photographed mangroves shown on the right of previously photographed artwork with a time difference of 7 years.
In conclusion, the discussion with the artwork (and hopefully with the audience), would create an intellectually vibrant discourse between artists, educators and researchers with different personal and technical viewpoints of ethics in the case of AI-generated imagery, and that this might hopefully generate more interest and critical discussion in the ethical creation of art via AI-generation and ethical development of future image models.
BIO
Mak Han Feng is a photographer and art historian specialising in environmental art practice and photography history in Southeast Asia. Han Feng conducts research into ethnographic art practices and Southeast Asian art history, and explores the relationship between different communities and the environment.
Han Feng is currently a research associate at the Science of Learning in Education Centre at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and is currently working on research in interventions in education.
Han Feng holds a master’s in Asian Art Histories awarded by the University of London, and a BFA in photography from Nanyang Technological University. He has previously exhibited his art at the Pingyao International Photography Festival, China, and has presented at artist and curatorial panels both locally and overseas.
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