Unbound Dialogue: Exploring the Perception of AI-Mediated Art

Despite its ubiquity within research and society, the study of AI-mediated art and its perception remain superficial and lacks depth. This study offers valuable perspectives for the fields of psychology and art history regarding the perception of AI-mediated art. It establishes a foundation for future investigations into the implications of art mediated by artificial intelligence, featuring nine artworks by contemporary artists: Alexandra Crouwers, Canek Zapata, Daan Couzijn, Estelle Flores, Mathias Mu, Marnix van Soom and Rodell Warner. The artworks utilize AI in diverse ways, employing different media, including paintings, sculpture, screens and projections. As the works were curated by an art historian and displayed in a gallery setting, this study provides a distinctive contribution. In contrast to the numerous existent studies that compare AI-generated images with reproductions of analog paintings in online settings, this study examines authentic works created by early and mid-career artists. The study comprised a total of 39 participants. 26 of these were able to visit the exhibition on their own, without context or time constraints. They then took part in an in-depth interview and completed a questionnaire, aimed at gaining insights into how participants perceive the use of AI in art. The remaining 13 participants were able to visit the exhibition with context and only completed the questionnaire. We focused on how they experienced such a multimedia exhibition and what it meant to them that the artworks were mediated by AI. Additionally, we examined the role of different kinds of screens, and the presence of new digital technologies in art. The results show a marked discrepancy between the critical openness to understanding the role of AI and other digital technologies in art, and their appreciation of the specific artworks in the context of this exhibition. The predominant explanation for this discrepancy is probably the lack of a framework for viewing this type of art.