A speculum transformation unfolds in a Madrid parking lot.
with A.I There is great division in the art world right now, with students fearful for their futures, while early adopters are extremely excited about the new possibilities. Along with Blind Walls Gallery, digital art collective SMACK demonstrates AI's potential for unfettered creative expression with Speculum Reversion. The trio used AI for a special visual feedback loop to present one of the AI-generated, non-screen-based works in public spaces around the world.
Meters wide, it is a vibrant contemporary interpretation of Hieronymus Bosch's famous triptych, The Garden of Earthly Delights, reflecting our identity and society through a wealth of visual stories. The facade artwork is on permanent display in Breda, Madrid, just a stone's throw from Bosch's original.
All images courtesy of SMACK
smack mixes medieval and contemporary imagery.
In 2016, Ton Meijdam, Thom Snels, and Béla Zsigmond – gave The team Behind the SMACK – The first were inspired by Hieronymus Bosch's mysterious work that was created 500 years ago. The Garden of Earthly Delights depicts a true 'paradise' in which humanity has no sense of danger and no knowledge of good and evil. For two years and with the help of AI, SMACK researched whether a reverse interpretation was even possible, culminating in his work Speculum Reversion.
Digital image elements were created from thousands of experiments, with multiple versions merged as a collage using prompts. Using cutting-edge technology, the digital artwork was transformed into a panoramic print no less than 53 meters wide and 8 meters tall. Interpreting from the Middle Ages to the contemporary and up to Bosch's time, this work shows that there is much to explore. AI also created new narratives by merging different eras, and invited the audience to bring their own imagination and interpretation.
The Blind Walls Gallery and SMACK Speculum present a reversal.
ai as a latent creative tool
Where other artists fear the loss of originality, SMACK begins to embrace AI in a way that complements their practice. 'Sometimes you think you have the technology under control, but then the program suddenly takes a different direction. It's like working with someone who has severe memory loss and can't remember what they did a minute ago.' But, the trio added, 'It is very entertaining and often inspiring, seeing the surprising results that can be obtained from such deviant experiments.' '
We were blown away by the scope, accuracy, quality, and sheer ease with which the AI creates an image. At the same time, it can be frustrating and frustrating when you think about how much effort it would take if you had to do it yourself. says Thom Snels.
One of the AI-generated, non-screen-based works in public spaces around the world
A vibrant contemporary interpretation of Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights
This interpretation extends from the Middle Ages to the contemporary and back to the age of Bosch.