How Graphic Matters and Blind Walls Gallery Embrace AI Art

Enthusiasts and Skeptics

Since developments around artificial intelligence accelerated in recent years, a clear divide has emerged. On one side are those enthusiastic about AI's possibilities, while on the other side are the skeptics. Both groups are present in the art world, as Dennis Elbers has experienced. In 2007, he founded Graphic Matters, which showcases the work of visually distinctive, socially engaged, and critical designers. In 2015, Blind Walls Gallery was added, guiding artists across Europe in creating murals.

AI art seems to reach a broader audience than classical art forms, Elbers observes. ‘Those who find programming interesting probably enjoy this too. Among the classical audience, I notice distrust: they often still find it unethical.’ Among creators, the popularity of AI also creates a divide. ‘Some are critical or even fearful that their profession will no longer exist in the near future, while others have embraced the possibilities and feel more creative than ever.’

Experience Breeds Art

It’s the adopters who emphasize: if you don’t get on board now, you’ll miss the boat, says Elbers. ‘The question isn’t whether you participate: AI is already an inseparable part of our society. The question is whether you want to further develop your skills in it. Personally, I see mainly opportunities: where as a designer you used to spend a lot of time on a sketch to give your client an idea of your concept, you can now create it faster with the help of artificial intelligence. This leaves you with more time and energy for the final product.’

Elbers doesn’t believe the profession of artist or designer will become obsolete in the future. ‘It’s a misconception to think you can create an exciting painting or design with just one click of a button. Experts say: only after five thousand prompts do you really know how to instruct AI properly. They often use various programs and prompts to achieve the optimal result. Creators have much more influence than many people think.’

Hands-On Control

Education and training in AI are therefore essential. This is precisely where Graphic Matters focuses its efforts. The organization gives lectures and workshops, including at schools and for designers, to make people aware of AI’s possibilities and opportunities. ‘You especially need to let people take the controls themselves,’ Elbers believes. ‘Then they realize what an art it is to steer artificial intelligence, and that it doesn’t always save time: you need a clear idea of what you want to create, and post-processing also takes a lot of time. AI-generated images are often blurry and contain errors, like double rows of teeth and two left hands.’

Complex Rights Issues

The advent of AI sparks interesting discussions about the definition of art and authorship, Elbers notes. ‘Which part of an artwork belongs to the creator and which part to the program used to make it? Can a machine be creative? Personally, I think we should view AI as a brush or spray can: a tool with which you create art.’

The answers to these questions also have implications for the rights issues surrounding AI (opens in new tab). These programs draw their input from the vast pool of images available on the internet, most of which are not royalty-free. ‘This is particularly challenging for living creators,’ Elbers admits. ‘They sometimes helplessly watch as AI appropriates their work. On the other hand: haven’t we always been inspired by others? However, the line between inspiration and plagiarism is becoming increasingly blurred. It would be good if, in the future, creators had the option to indicate that they don’t want their work to be used by AI.’

Broad AI Integration in Your Organization

Elbers hopes to use AI more broadly in his own organization in the future, for example, to speed up or automate repetitive tasks. Even more complex tasks, like writing a grant application, are increasingly supported by generative AI. ‘We are a small organization, so we mainly depend on the tools available on the market. But we certainly believe that repetitive tasks are better performed by a machine than by a human.’

To make progress as a sector, we need to communicate more openly about our use of AI, Elbers believes. ‘Explain how you’ve used artificial intelligence to create a product or artwork. What software did you use? What steps did you take? That way, we can also learn from each other in this area.’

Dennis’s Tips

• Try using AI yourself. Open ChatGPT or Midjourney and discover how complex it is to give the right instructions.
• Think about how you can apply AI in your organization. Do you still need to write all texts yourself? Can you outsource that sketch to a program? And do you already invite AI to brainstorming sessions?
• Document what you do. Are you already using AI? Create a step-by-step plan of your workflow and share it. It helps your colleagues, even those from other organizations.