On 25 June Christie’s New York hosted the 2019 Art + Tech Summit: The A.I. Revolution, produced in collaboration with Christie’s Education, and supported by Hyundai and Gucci.
The second annual one-day conference brought together representatives from global institutions including Google, Hyundai, MIT Technology Review, Pace Gallery and The Met for a comprehensive programme of lectures and panel discussions that explored the impact of artificial intelligence on all aspects of the art world.
Topics addressed during the conference included the impact of machine learning on the art market; the legal, ethical and social implications of A.I.; the future of collecting in a digital age; and a panel discussion focused on the future of this emerging technology.
Guillaume Cerutti, CEO of Christie’s, describes the Art + Tech Summit as an unparalleled opportunity for Christie’s to affirm its position at the forefront of the conversation about the intersection of art and technology: ‘We are honoured to bring together leading experts, influencers, and creative minds, who are redefining the art world with respect to technology, and changing the way art is created, experienced, and circulated.’
The summit’s accompanying public exhibition was on view in the Christie’s Rockefeller Galleries from 26 to 28 June. Highlights included the New York premiere of Yugen, a ‘moving image artwork’ created by award-winning film-maker Martha Fiennes, starring Hollywood actress Salma Hayek Pinault. Unveiled in September 2018 at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, Yugen fuses complex computer coding and post-production effects to explore new possibilities for creative expression.
‘As AI and digital tech develops at breakneck speed, I can't help feeling that it is humanity's duty to ask itself what the broadest benchmark for intelligence might be,’ Fiennes told Christie's. ‘Might there be a greater level of consciousness to reach than has historically been demonstrated?’
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Also on display was an interactive exhibition of cars and dynamic AI-themed contemporary artwork by Hyundai’s ARTLAB; and an immersive presentation entitled The TRANSFER Download, featuring artworks in emerging technologies by six artists, including Greek artist Theo Triantafyllidis, Turkish-American architect Pinar Yoldas and London-based multi-media artist Lawrence Lek, curated by Kelani Nichole.
The full speaker list and programme is available for review here
You can now watch the Christie's Art + Tech Summit 2019 here