After visiting the show and interviewing the artist, I was left confused as to why Alex Israel remains the subject of so much online criticism.
Associates Ltd
REMEMBR by Alex Israel at Gagosian Davies St uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a vital component within an immersive installation. The work is drawing highly contrasted comments online regarding its use of AI. However, after visiting REMEMBR on its opening night and interviewing Alex the following week – the thing that stuck the most was the artist’s joyous, playful approach to creating what can only be likened to a magical experience.
AI in art has been drawing controversy in recent months – from ChatGPT to Dal-E, technologies have been assumed to be threatening the future of artists. Recently it seems that the narrative of AI being unable to replace art has shifted to preventative, Instagram chainmail-like declarations of creative independence. We’re moving away from ignorance and more towards a widespread fear of inevitability, a fear which isn’t apparent to Alex.
Whilst visitors to the exhibition are very clearly receptive to the concept, the artist is treading AI-conflicted waters. Through REMEMBR, visitors are treated to their own personalised mini-movie utilising their phone’s photo vault. A top comment by @accidentalhost on Instagram following an interview with The Art Newspaper deemed his work ‘as shallow as the Kardashians’ and questioned the artist’s reference to art history. Further comments ridiculed his work in differing ways, some even went as far as to comment on his appearance. One thing for certain is that Alex is causing intense reactions – joyous, nerve-wracking and even overwhelmingly positive reactions witnessed in the exhibition itself contrast with deep scepticism and doubt across social media.
It’s a somewhat known fact that revolutionary artists are despised for their disruption of traditional models. By being one of the early adopters of this technology in such an immersive and participatory sense, Alex Israel has a chance of going down in the history books to come. I’m not going to bang on about how increasingly elitist the art world is becoming – that’s already a given, but I want to bring it into context by stating my opinion that Alex Israel’s work allows new access into art. He questions what art is about, works across a series of disciplines connected by a thread of deep curiosity – whilst providing experiences that can be likened to magic.
The same heads that turn upon hearing the likes of Outernet, Frameless I would expect also find Alex Israel extremely discomforting – yet these new experiences within are undoubtedly allowing new appreciations and connections to art that have literally been impossible before. I’m all here for it.
REMEMBR by Alex Israel runs until July 13th at Gagosian Davies St. Visitors can participate even when the gallery is closed (until 10pm) by connecting to the REMEMBR network and scanning the QR code on the window.
