LUME. Creatives in Web3 Age

Traditionally, art has been based on physical materials and the skill with which they are handled. The role of the artist has been to create, illustrate and tell stories using paint, clay, stone or other concrete media. With digitalization, the form of art making has expanded, and the inclusion of artificial intelligence in the creative process raises the question (Salonen 2023): is a human an artistic actor, even though artificial intelligence is part of creative work? Art can even be produced by algorithms and technology, changing not only the way art is created but also the way it is experienced. The Combine24 competition organized by the National Gallery embodies this shift, where traditional and digital art meet in a new kind of creative process, an interaction between man and machine. The process of generative art English art critic and teacher Harold Osborne (1988) defines generative art as geometric abstraction in which a basic element, such as an artificial intelligence-based algorithm, creates new variations by changing the original initial parameter based on set rules. Unlike traditional art, where the work is static, generative art is constantly changing and real-time. Theorist Matt Pearson (2011) describes generative art as a process that combines logical and cold programming with creative, emotional expression. In this form of art, collaboration between humans and machines, or co-creation (Lundman, Nordström, 2023), opens up new possibilities for creation. At the heart of co-creation is the idea that creativity is not exclusively human-centered, but that machines can be part of the creative process, and this collaboration can expand the boundaries of human imagination. The National Gallery of Finland’s Combine24 competition exploits this concept of co-creation, where algorithms created by artists and artists together create new works, offering viewers the opportunity to participate in the creation, modification and ownership of the work. The competition focuses on generative art, which is more than a single work. The competition instructed artists to use the National Gallery’s historical art collections as raw material and create new art from them based on an algorithm, whereby the final result is generated randomly within the framework of programmed rules. Each result is a unique variant – just like each viewer experience. You may touch! One of the most interesting features of the Combine24 competition is the active role of the viewer. This involvement transforms the traditional passive art experience into an interactive and creative process in which the viewer is a participant. THL also sees the idea of participation expanding from mere presence, participation, to a way of active influence, participation, where people influence and are involved in decision-making (2024). This participatory model represents a broader trend in the cultural sector, where the audience is encouraged to be active actors, whereby creativity is no longer limited to art actors and professionals (Halonen, 2019). The Remix the Archive exhibition, which features the works of Combine24 finalists, is a physical space in Helsinki where visitors can modify the works displayed on screens with their own touch by pressing the Remix button. Viewers are no longer just passive observers, but co-creators of the work. This interactivity makes experiencing art a personal and participatory process, where the viewer can feel part of the creative process. The public also has the opportunity to influence and vote for one of the three winners, which adds more meaning and personality to the participation. Dialogue between art and technology Combine24 combines the National Gallery's historical collections with modern technology in a way that raises questions about authorship. The works are not simply based on the creations of past masters, but generative artworks create a whole new reality, where historical elements serve as the basis for modern algorithms. Here, traditional craftsmanship and technological innovation meet. The use of technology also changes the authorship of a work of art. Previously, the artist was solely responsible for the final work, but now the creative process is shared and interactive. The question that arises is: who is the true creator of the work? The programmer of the algorithm, the creator of the original work of art, or the viewer, who actively influences the final result, and without whom a certain variation would not even exist? By combining elements of past art and modern technology, Combine24 provokes reflection on how art is interpreted and who is responsible for the final result. NFTs and new revenue models for art The encounter between art and technology continues even after the art is created. The Combine24 works were built and published on the Highlight.xyz platform, which serves as the technological backbone of the competition in the creation, presentation and commercialization of art. With the platform's tools, artists can combine different data feeds, materials and libraries, such as the National Gallery's CC0-licensed collection data, and create unique works from them. Art lovers can create variations of works in real time and also purchase them as NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), offering a new way to own and monetize digital artworks. Traditionally, owning a work of art is associated with a physical object, but NFTs enable ownership of digital works using blockchain technology. The artist can decide their own revenue logic, for example by pricing each work separately, publishing a limited edition of works, or giving the works away for free to collect, in which case the artist can take advantage of Highlight’s protocol fees. NFT technology also enables artists to earn royalties from subsequent resales. This gives artists a continuous connection to their works and their commercial value, even after the work has already been sold. As part of the future of art Combine24 is a great way to start a conversation about how art from the past and technology from today can meet, create something new, and challenge old ways of thinking about human-machine collaboration. Algorithmic art and NFT technology open up new possibilities for both the creation and ownership of art, while giving the viewer an active role in the life cycle of an artwork. The entries in the competition demonstrate that art is not a passive experience, but an interactive and constantly changing process in which the viewer, artist and technology work together. Combine24 is a window into the art of the future – a world where algorithms and archives of the past merge to create a new kind of interactive, participatory art. More info on COMBINE24 https://combine24.alusta.art Combine24-kilpailun työt Highlight-alustalla Remix the Archive -näyttely The Remix the Archive exhibition will be held in Helsinki from 20 September to 26 October 2024 at Teollisuuskatu 9D in Vallila, opening hours Tuesday-Saturday 12-18. This exhibition offers the opportunity to experience and edit the works from the Combine24 competition and see how the past and the future can meet through art. https://www.hs.fi/menokone/events/140218 Sources Halonen, K. (2019). Nuorten osallistaminen on tunnetta ja toimintaa. Osuma-hanke blogi 9.1.2019. Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu. Lundman, R. & Nordström, P. (2023). Creative geographies in the age of AI. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers: Volume 48, Issue 3. Osborne, H. (1988). The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Art. Oxford University Press. Pearson, M. (2011). Generative Art: A Practical Guide Using Processing. Manning Publications Co. Salonen, P. (2023). Tekoäly rynnii taiteeseen. Taidelehti 3/23 THL. (2023). Osallisuus yhteisöissä ja vaikuttamisen prosesseissa. Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos. Marja Konttinen works as an expert in the LUME project, co-funded by the European Union, which focuses on the latest earning models in the creative industry.