Original Interview [ITA]: https://notiziarte.com/2024/02/19/ai-arte-metaverso-e-attivita-cognitiva-lintervista-a-colpo-wexler-e-alterago

By: Fabrizio Bellavista

Addressing the topic of Art combined with AI, in my opinion, requires a certain understanding of Cognitive Activity because, when talking about art and/or Artificial Intelligence, that’s exactly where we might find spaces for understanding. Indeed, in the initial phase of an innovation, everything is valid – and above all, everything is useful, without exclusions other than those of an ethical order. Therefore, I resolutely embark on my modest interpretation including an interview with two artists who are “special” in their own way. Below, as an introduction, in absolutely no particular order, you will find some reflections and/or questions, almost an off-piste cognitive exploration in the fresh snow of innovation.

Let’s start with the first point: generative AI is not exactly capable of ‘storing’ images, but rather uses their mathematical representations. The entire process, in fact, involves a whole series of translations: from images to data, from text to image, etc. Another reflection: artificial intelligence deals with the brain, but the brain deals with an emotional and an intuitive area that are not properly defined as “intelligences” (note that when talking about cognitive processes, the salami is almost always cut in thick slices), it then deals with the senses, the body, the environment, and other people with whom one interacts (even just with thoughts and/or emotions). And more: AI visual art is for now in the hands of writers – see prompts: so are we witnessing, in some way, the return and revenge of the word over the image? And then: shouldn’t we be grateful to be tested on other paradigms and their related intelligences? Furthermore: although it may seem incredible to talk about artificial intelligence as creative: the fusion of images from different sources, with broad random elements, comes very close to some aspects of the creative process. Another consideration, which, as very often happens, is a question: does a work of art have scientific parameters that allow it to be always recognized among a thousand others? At the end of these inexhaustible notes, one last, most unsettling question: is the natural world, by any chance, also artificial? In this humus of fragile certainties, I move with determination and go on to consider two artists who are pursuing a very personal research path.

The starting point is the distinctiveness of the personalities: on one side, Dario Buratti (aka Colpo Wexler), a Metaverse Architect, who brings his research and theories on the subject and an open window onto Extended Reality; on the other side, Davide Agostoni (aka AlterAgo), a Creative Director and AI Artist who, as a characteristic, maintains an open window on hyper-traditional photography. For both, I experienced a strong sensation, an unexpected connection, and the consequent emergence of a “feeling”: this is what, after all, I personally ask of an artistic gesture. With Colpo Wexler, I felt the shock and intrigue of the triple somersaults: Reality-AI-Metaverse. For Alterago, on the other hand, I felt a sense of loss looking at the face of the little red-haired astronaut who has already left our planet with the melancholic expression of inevitable gestures. Here is the result of the interview.

The interview:

Q. Dario, let’s start with the theory: we have already extensively shared the topic, can you reiterate the details of the SIC – Spiral of Collaborative Intelligence?

A. The Spiral of Collaborative Intelligence represents a partially verified hypothesis on how a continuous operation of intellectual or creative feedback between artificial intelligence and human intelligence can stimulate brain plasticity in the human operator and open new neural pathways oriented towards deeper creative dynamics. This opens up the hypothesis that a type of “collaborative intelligence” between humans and AI can generate not only new aesthetic models but also new paradigms for reasoning about art. One of these paradigms, which I will soon propose in a column together with Stefano Lazzari (Stex Auer), is the concept of “Extended Art”.

Q. Davide, you told me a few days ago that you have been trying to give a “sense” to the artistic work you are doing with AI: can you share some thoughts on the subject?

A. The introduction of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into the world of art has radically transformed my approach to creativity, offering me a “creative vertigo” of unexplored possibilities. This evolution does not mark the end of the importance of the artist, but rather a renewed collaboration between human and machine, where AI serves as a tool to extend our artistic expression. The transition from “I can do this too” to “I could do this as well” does not minimize the artist’s role; on the contrary, it emphasizes the centrality of human thought in giving meaning to art. AI does not replace the artist but enriches the creative process, pushing us to reflect on the value of originality, ethics, and the social implications of our art. In this new context, the artist is not just a creator, but also an explorer and a critic of the expressive potential and challenges posed by AI, reaffirming the importance of human intent in the evolution of artistic expression.

Q. Dario, on different occasions, I have been able to ‘experience’ your images on the website and in the Artech space on Spatial: the images on display and also featured in this article are the result – as you write – of an ongoing dialogue, a tango between human desires, intuitions, and the analytical precision of AI. Can you tell me about it again?

A. Exactly. As we will explain later in the column mentioned above: “We wanted to develop some creative procedures that would visually represent the concept of ‘SIC’ within an immersive space. So, we constructed an XR exhibition area within the ‘Spatial’ metaverse, where both the environment and the architecture were designed also through the collaboration with AI systems. Then, we processed and developed the entire SIC theory using chat GPT-4, from which we also requested to produce the prompts we would use to create images with Midjourney’s AI, and we have set up an exhibition that you can visit at any time by going here: https://www.spatial.io/s/ArTech-Team-Gallery-SIC-version-650dbb5efa3720c21573c6fb (either with a standalone VR headset, PC, or smartphone).”

Q. Davide, you know that seeing the “Astrochild” series, I felt a strong emotion and you helped me to unmark this (trivial) assumption: art is not just a tool but the emotion it creates beyond the tool. So the question: do you perceive AI as a tool?

A. Artificial intelligence represents a dynamic tool (thus, in continuous exchange with the creativity that manages it) to which we must adapt, just as happened with the introduction of the first computers in communication agencies in the early ’90s. This return to a moment of technological turning point reminds us that every new tool opens horizons of unexplored expressive possibilities. Personally, I have always tried to adapt the tool to my ideas, rather than compromising the essence of my visions to fit the capabilities of a particular medium. I point out an interesting source for updates: Timeline of AI Art.

Q. Dario, with the term “Generative Art,” we talk about immersiveness and extended reality: so?

A. The term “Generative Art” generally refers to creative operations generated with the aid of AI systems. With “Generative Art XR,” which essentially means “Generative Art in Extended Reality” or “Extended Art” (a term we wanted to use as a natural application of the SIC theory in the artistic field), we mean all those intellectual and creative procedures aimed at treating art as an “ecosystem” in which multiple interconnected elements and parallel disciplines coexist, all part of a fabric that extends between the real and the virtual. By doing so, the physical/digital interaction lays the foundation for creative chemistry. Naturally, these concepts just mentioned will be discussed in depth in the column I mentioned earlier, which will be titled “Art and Immersive Technologies.”

Q. Davide, the series of “women with cellophane” makes me think of the great school of Renaissance and post-Renaissance portraitists: your inspiration?

A. The concept of “hybridization” has always held a particular fascination for me, pushing me to explore the union of different worlds and languages in my works to create new creative realities. “Women in Cellophane” represents a deep reflection on the female figure in all its manifestations: from the noble lady of the Renaissance, to the iconic image of the Virgin Mary, to the woman forced to flee her country at war. The use of transparent plastic as a distinctive element places these subjects in the current context, marked by environmental, economic, and social crises, highlighting their resilience and warrior nature despite adversities. The plastic that can suffocate or be a container for a corpse, the plastic that can be protection and worn with pride.

Who’s Who: Dario Buratti, aka Colpo Wexler
Metaverse Architect and Designer, my skills range from creative aspects to community management to events in virtual reality. At the end of 2006, I began my experience as a 3D modeler, also creating virtual communities and events. Under the name Colpo Wexler, I have created hundreds of professional environments on various platforms such as Second Life, Sansar, and Sinespace, and – over the years – on others. Since 2020, I have been studying to establish a laboratory for experimenting with new immersive tools aimed at creating virtual environments through the use of mixed reality. Between 2019 and 2023, I realized architectural projects in the metaverse, expanding my user base from Europe to the Americas, from Arab countries to Japan.

Who’s Who: Davide Agostoni, aka AlterAgo
My research in the field of communication has been ongoing for more than 30 years and has led me to work in various areas of communication, from design to events. I am a big fan of music, art, and photography, and in this last year, I have ventured into the spaces of AI Art to explore the use of artificial intelligence in creating images or, better said, unprecedented worlds. I have always sought to find beauty in simplicity, setting aside the superfluous to focus on the essential. I follow Dieter Rams’ motto: “less, but better”. Despite suffering from vertigo, I am not afraid of emptiness; on the contrary, I think that good communication needs space, just like silences in music.