Kookmin University Hosts AI Art Exhibition 'Hidden Desire (숨겨진 욕망) 展'

Contemplating the Originality of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

[Offline Exhibition Poster]

Kookmin University (President Lim Hong-jae) Techno Design Graduate School's Augmented Human Lab (Advisor Professor Heo Jeong-yoon) announced that it is holding a planned exhibition titled "Hidden Desire: What Is Your Appearance? 展" (hereinafter "Hidden Desire") in the metaverse space Zepeto.

The "Hidden Desire 展" exhibition was held offline at Gyeongae Gallery located in Gangnam-gu from the 20th to the 22nd and successfully concluded, then moved to the metaverse space Zepeto to continue the exhibition.

[Exhibition Currently Held in the Metaverse Space (Zepeto)]

This exhibition "Hidden Desire" explores the authenticity of art in the era of mechanical reproduction and was created using artificial intelligence style transfer technology (AI StyleTransfer, hereinafter style transfer technology). Style transfer technology has mainly been used to transform photos into the style of specific artists, but in this exhibition, it was used as a concept of collaborating with artificial intelligence by visualizing various imaginations of artists on a journey to discover new styles, bringing vitality to the exhibition.

The Augmented Human Lab aimed to lead a broad discourse on "art in the age of artificial intelligence" through this exhibition. It sought to share various topics with visitors appreciating the works, such as where the creativity of AI-generated paintings lies, who owns the copyright, and whether the authenticity of art exists in the era of technological reproduction where new creations called simulacra beyond the limits of reproduction have become possible.

Oh Ha-ryeong, Director of Industry-Academia Cooperation at Kookmin University, said, "Through this exhibition, we hope that Kookmin University's cultural and artistic R&D capabilities, which are seamlessly converging artificial intelligence, metaverse, and various new technologies, will be well disseminated," and added, "We will further accelerate industry-academia cooperation for cultural revival and regional community development to expand our university's role."

The exhibition, which opens a new chapter of art transcending time and space by planning exhibitions in both real-world galleries and virtual metaverse galleries, can be accessed on the Augmented Human Lab's Zepeto world map. More detailed information about the exhibition can be found on the website of Kookmin University Techno Design Graduate School's Augmented Human Lab.