A Netherlands museum is facing criticism for selecting an AI-generated piece of art to temporarily take the place of the renowned Girl with a Pearl Earring painting. The artwork was created by Johannes Vermeer in 1665 and is usually located at the Mauritshuis Museum but is on loan at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam until June 4.
In the interim, the Mauritshuis Museum held a competition for local artists to submit their own versions of the Girl with a Pearl Earring painting and said it would select one of the submissions to take Vermeer’s place until the painting is returned. While the competition may have seemed like a straightforward and exciting process, when the museum selected an AI-generated piece of art showing the girl with more structured and sharp outlines and glowing earrings, the art community erupted with complaints.
Of the roughly 3,480 artworks submitted, Berlin-based artist, Julian van Dieken, was one of five winners selected, and whose so-called painting is receiving backlash from artists and lovers of the painting.
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When asked for comment, the Mauritshuis Museum directed Gizmodo to a statement on its website which said they did not choose the winners by looking at what was the “most beautiful” or “best” submission. “For us, the starting point has always been that the maker has been inspired by Johannes Vermeer’s world-famous painting. And that can be in the most diverse ways in image or technique.”
Source: A Museum Temporarily Swapped a Masterpiece With AI Art and Chaos Ensued
Sounds like art doing what art should be doing – pushing culture and perceptions. Making people think. Just a shame the village idiot squad angle is pushed by Gizmodo. Well done the Mauritshuis!
Robin Edgar
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