The Mauritshuis Museum, located in the Netherlands and considered one of the most important in Europe, is suffering from public criticism after temporarily replacing the artwork Girl with a Pearl Earring (Girl with a Pearl Earring, in literal translation), made by the artist Johannes Vermeer in 1665, by a reinterpretation created through artificial intelligence.
The temporary exchange was promoted by the Mauritshuis after the famous painting was loaned to the Rijksmuseum, a museum located in Amsterdam, until June 4.
So that the space where it usually stays Girl with a Pearl Earring not to be empty, the museum directors promoted a contest called “My Girl with a Pearl” (My Girl with a Pearl, in literal translation) for artists to present their own versions of the painting. The best evaluated by the Mauritshuis would be exhibited on site.
Among the 3,480 works sent to the competition, 170 were selected to enter the exhibition – which is being held from February 6th to June 4th of this year. Among them, one stands out for having been developed with the help of artificial intelligence.
Made by artist Julian van Dieken, who currently lives in Berlin, the reinterpretation created with the help of AI received criticism as soon as it was announced as one of the chosen ones in the contest.
On the museum’s social networks, users criticize the choice, arguing that the work “cannot be considered art and van Dieken replaced someone who dedicated time and effort to design”.
In the museum’s Instagram post, a user claims that “images created by artificial intelligence are plagiarism” and says he is disappointed with the choice.
Among the comments, an American artist named Julia Rose Waters confesses that she is “super disappointed that they chose an AI piece. That choice pushed another artist who took the time to develop his creative skills in favor of machine-created art.”
Another artist, Katria Raden, questions whether the museum is “unfamiliar with the legal and ethical issues with technology, or is this a case of pure disrespect for true artists?” and concludes by stating that the institution “is not reliable for the defense and care of human cultural heritage”.
AI art defense
In a note sent to the American website Gizmodo, the Mauritshuis Museum declared that “we did not choose the winners by looking at which was the most beautiful or best retelling. The starting point has always been the artists’ inspiration in the painting of Johannes Vermeer. Art can be made in different ways or techniques”.
Artist Julian van Dieken also defended his work, made with the help of MidJourney software. In an Instagram post, he stated that “I didn’t create the image for a contest, but for myself.”
Julian still defends the choice because he was transparent in the application for the contest. “I reflect on how these new AI tools can change creative processes,” he says.
Finally, the artist confesses that he does not believe that painting can be replaced or replicated by technology. “The image I created with the help of the AI was just a fun homage because I love Vermeer’s work,” says van Dieken.
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
