Who are the Art-laws??
They are artists defying status quo, diving into some of the toughest questions of the decade and influencing the future of art and knowledge. Care to meet the first cohort of Art-Law grantees and fellows?
Good! It is with immense pleasure that I invite you to celebrate innovative and bold artists who are pushing the boundaries at the intersection of Art X AI! It’s free, online, on November 26th at 4 PM. Here is the link to register. Please share the invitation to this online celebration honouring artists exploring the powerful meanderings where art and AI meet!! Scroll down for a sneak preview!
After years of work, researching best practices on Art & AI ethics research and creation, organizing pan-canadian Art Impact AI workshops, Art and AI pre-residencies during the pandemic, etc., I am really thrilled about this event and the Art-Laws Symposium on the following day, November 27th, and which is part of the artists’ fellowship).
One thing that was striking was the impact of our best practices. The Art-Laws call for project (CFP) indicated that it was important to establish clear links with the goals of the CFP (legal and economic impacts of GenAI) and with the proposed Best Practices (designed for artists, curators, funders, residency organizers and art funders). Our evaluation grid also included the more typical impact, feasability and overall quality. Applicants had to demonstrate an actual art practice. They could be emerging or established artists of any discipline. An information session was given to explain the CFP and Best Practices.
We received 41 applications and we had budget for 3 grantees (3x 5000$).
Some proposals were eliminated in the first round of eligibility despite some of them having very impressive CVs… The independent and highly skilled jury, including myself :-), used the evaluation grid using a point system in an Excel sheet. It got tough and led to very interesting discussions. These discussions are confidential in case you’re wondering (jury members sign an NDA) but their names will be made public eventually.
Going back to the effect of the best practices: we had more men artists applicants than women. The 3 grantees are women.
We had set NO diversity and inclusion prerequisites. Being part of a minority in AI or in society was NOT part of the evaluation grid AKA the evaluation didn’t include an Affirmative Action component. I have nothing against them, it’s just I do find a lot of DEI practices lack the impact they are wanting to have. Anyway, I should write a separate article on that.
For now, I invite you to read my research on multidisciplinary design of AI and best practices for art projects exploring the ethical implications of AI (pre-ChatGPT and MidJourney etc) because the fact that we went from 41 applications with more men than women and end up with 3 women awardees, speaks volumes.
3 reasons I’m proud.
I’m proud of the enthusiastic response to our CFP. I have to share, especially after a well-known digital art organization director, after a panel we had together, said: “what she wants to do, won’t work” to the guy next to him. I’m very grateful to ALL the artists who took the time to submit and proved our vision right.
I’m very proud about the impact the Best Practices had, how they guided the jury in selecting world changing art and AI projects.
I’m proud that I refused Google Deep Mind’s invitation to join their Art and AI Residency, where the artists would be paid 5000$ (in a total budget of $100 000 coming from public funds) and Google would deliver policy recommendations to our Canadian government. I much prefer give out a total value of $40 000 directly to artists and art service organizations and deliver policy recommendations led by artists and art service organizations.
In short, this is a success and I will continue to fight for more funding for the Art-Laws Programs. Huge thanks to all the artists, to AI Impact Alliance’s partners and members, to our main partner, the Council for the Arts of Canada.
Want a sneak peek of the short list?
Here’s a sneak peek at the projects that will be awarded one of the 3 Art-Laws grants and fellowships, as well as those who earned a special mention or an invitation to participate in a 2025 panel. Prepare to be inspired!
1. Speculative Urban Planning with Generative AI: A digital artist investigates the role of generative AI in speculative urban planning, emphasizing collaborative research-creation processes. The project examines the subjective appropriation of mass data and cultural dynamics, inspired by critical research on algorithmic bias and equity.
2. Afro-Quebecois Filmmaking and Forgotten Cultures: A filmmaker experiments with AI to create narratives that reclaim erased or diminished cultural knowledge. The project bridges generative text tools and underrepresented cinematic stories, focusing on Afro-Quebecois and Rwandan perspectives.
3. Exploring Decolonized Beauty Standards through AI: A photographer uses environmental portraiture to examine AI through the lens of queer ecologies and decolonized aesthetics. Their research challenges beauty norms and integrates social justice with artistic expression.
4. Children’s Literature and AI Ethics: A writer and illustrator creates an engaging children’s book exploring the ethical and social implications of generative AI. The story fosters intergenerational conversations about transparency, accountability, and the value of human creativity in the face of technological change.
5. Indigenous Storytelling, a Documentary: An Indigenous artist explores the intersections of AI, data sovereignty, and cultural knowledge through storytelling, adapting a speculative fiction podcast into a screenplay. Their work highlights the ethical implications of AI, focusing on Indigenous perspectives and opportunities like language reclamation and sovereignty.
6. Movement and Creative Agency: A performance artist critiques the Western obsession with transformation by exploring the interplay of AI and human movement. The project questions control in AI collaborations, using choreographic experimentation to address issues of bias, authorship, and creative agency.
7. Choreography and Climate Action: A choreographer integrates AI into a live performance to explore societal inertia in the face of climate change. By combining diverse dance styles with AI-generated soundscapes, the project aims to engage audiences and inspire collective action through embodied participation.
8. Authorship and Gesture in Abstract Expressionism: A multidisciplinary artist uses generative AI to explore the relationship between physical gestures and visual outcomes in abstract expressionist painting. Through painting, choreography, and documentary filmmaking, they interrogate questions of authorship, labor, and economic value in AI-generated art.
9. Generative AI in Tattoo Art: A tattoo artist examines the ethical and economic implications of AI in their craft, questioning issues of consent and originality. This project analyzes how generative AI transforms creative processes and artistic inspiration, proposing governance solutions for equitable practices in the arts.
10. Aging and Marginalized Artists in the Digital Age: A multidisciplinary artist explores how AI exacerbates inequalities for older and immigrant artists. The project addresses technological access barriers and exploitation of creative labor, fostering dialogue on digital equity in marginalized communities.
The online celebration is passed but here are the Art-Law fellows of 2024!
