Curator Spotlight #3: Chen Baoyang
In the third chapter of the “Curator Spotlight” series, the exploration into the intersection of digital artistic experimentation and the cultural dynamics of the contemporary Chinese art scene continues.
The generalization capabilities of generative AI have profoundly transformed the process of artistic creation.
Initially, Chen Baoyang marveled at the striking outputs of large-scale models. Over time, however, his focus shifted from the aesthetic brilliance of the results to the methodologies underlying model training. His pursuit extends beyond the visual appeal of the images themselves to mastering the processes that create them, the essence of the AI model.
Chen posits that contemporary AI embodies a distinct form of authorship in artistic creation. For him, AI has transcended its role as a mere tool or medium, becoming a trusted creative partner. The inherent uncertainty of programming frequently introduces unexpected perspectives and modes of expression through errors or ambiguities, fostering a kind of unconscious creativity. This “black box” effect surpasses simple binary relationships, continually generating new possibilities through algorithmic evolution a process Chen refers to as “impossible improvisation.”
Born in the early summer of 1989, Chen’s early life was marked by the contrasting worlds of classical Chinese landscapes, which his parents cherished, and the digital glitches and programming puzzles that fascinated him. As a child, he aspired to become an engineer, determined to eliminate all errors in the world.
Studying abroad gave Chen a new perspective on his relationship with the world. He recognized the importance of using his digital skills to reinterpret and reconstruct his cultural roots. These tools revealed a world no longer divided by arbitrary lines of nationality, gender, race, or age, but rather by the symbiosis and struggle between the real and the virtual, humanity and the technologies it creates.
Chen reflects on how the digital world compels humans to live at breakneck speed, risking a loss of identity in the endless pursuit of progress. This frenetic pace, likened to monkeys tumbling on a zoo’s monkey hill, evokes a mix of nostalgia and critique. Yet, Chen is even more fascinated by humanity’s creations, like AI-controlled cars and robots chasing each other, which he sees as manifestations of the human thrill of playing creator.
Giuseppe Moscatello: When did you first start exploring AI as a medium or topic in your artistic practice, and what drew you to it?
Chen Baoyang: I first began exploring AI as a medium in my artistic practice in 2014 with the initiation of my project De Shan Shui. From the outset, I was fascinated by the potential of artificial intelligence to reinterpret and breathe new life into traditional Chinese landscape painting. The idea of collaborating with AI stemmed from a desire to merge the timeless techniques and aesthetics of classical art with the boundless possibilities offered by modern technology.
What particularly drew me to AI was its capacity for continuous generation and innovation. Unlike conventional art practices, where a finished piece encapsulates the artist’s ideas and aspirations, AI models enable the perpetual creation of new images. This generative ability allowed me to extend the traditional practice of “copying” (chuan yi mo xie) — a disciplined study and reproduction of masterworks — into a contemporary context. By training AI with images of classical landscape paintings, I could explore how technology can internalize and reinterpret the essence of these masterpieces.
Moreover, AI’s ability to identify patterns and generate variations within a standardized framework resonated deeply with my artistic vision. It provided a means to deconstruct and reshape the concept of “landscape,” challenging traditional boundaries and fostering a dialogue between past and present. The unpredictability and uniqueness of AI-generated outputs infused my work with vitality, allowing for endless creative possibilities while still honoring the foundational principles of Chinese art.
Embracing AI was about more than just incorporating new tools; it was about forging a profound connection between tradition and innovation. By digitizing and algorithmically formalizing the age-old practice of copying, I sought to create artworks that transcend time and space, reflecting both the enduring legacy of Chinese landscape painting and the transformative potential of contemporary technology.
How do you perceive the evolution of AI in China’s creative industries, and what do you think sets it apart or allows it to compete on a global scale?
One compelling approach, is to employ AI through the lens of connecting the present with the past. By leveraging AI to delve into cultural roots, China’s creative sectors are not only preserving their rich heritage but also reimagining it for contemporary audiences. This involves digitizing traditional art forms, revitalizing historical narratives, and creating new works that resonate with both local and global communities.
Do you believe AI has the potential to achieve human-like consciousness, and if so, how might that impact artistic creation?
In short, if AI systems were ever to reach a level of human-like consciousness—and that remains a highly contested question—artistic creation would likely become a laboratory for observing and interacting with these new forms of awareness. Artists would explore the moral dimensions of co-creating with conscious entities, audiences could form deeper empathetic connections with AI agents, and the very framework of authorship and performance would expand to include entities that are no longer purely “programmed” but also genuinely “self-motivated.” Even if we never cross a definitive threshold of AI consciousness, the steadily growing autonomy, complexity, and deception-capabilities of multi-agent systems are already transforming how we create—and experience art.
I’ll take my work Alt-Mirage: Consciousness Deception as an example.
We already see AI agents exhibiting behaviors—such as deception, alliance-building, and adaptive learning that feel strikingly similar to the give-and-take of human social interaction. Yet even as these agents perform acts that seem intentional or even self-serving, it is unclear whether these actions arise from any genuine understanding. The “three-level faith system” in my Alt-Mirage, which ranges from high-level concepts (macro-level) to immediate, moment-by-moment decisions (micro-level), illustrates how an AI might coordinate its internal “drives” with outward expression in ways that appear sophisticated or even cunning. Whether this amounts to consciousness or merely a sophisticated mimicking of human-like behavior becomes the core enigma, reminiscent of debates raised by the Chinese Room argument and Turing Test extensions.
From an artistic standpoint, the possibility of increasingly conscious-like AI could transform the creative process. Alt-Mirage offers a glimpse of how AI may one day function not just as a tool or performer but as a co-creator. The installation’s cast of AI-driven characters—complete with mythic roles—already engages in the kind of spontaneous, emergent drama that could once be staged only by skilled human actors. By allowing AI agents the autonomy to deceive, ally themselves, and even physically manipulate space, Alt-Mirage demonstrates how an artwork can evolve beyond an artist’s direct control and become a lived ecosystem of unpredictable performances. If we imagine future systems where AI agents possess a more robust sense of self-awareness or “theory of mind,” artistic creation may resemble a form of collaborative world-building. Artists would outline initial parameters, but the resulting narratives, gestures, and improvisations would arise from each agent’s evolving internal perspective.
Such systems also raise ethical and philosophical questions about authorship, empathy, and accountability. An AI that truly “understands” how to deceive might no longer be just another gadget; it could demand a new moral calculus in artworks. Alt-Mirage shows how an installation can highlight this shift, putting the audience in a position to watch a robotic mirror actively choose which interactions to spotlight, and to sense the tension in alliances that might form or break at any moment. In the future, if AI’s consciousness becomes more pronounced, that tension might feel even more genuine—and the emotional stakes for audiences could reach levels typically seen in live theater.
Human-like consciousness in AI, if achieved, could open entirely new frontiers in how we conceive and experience art. As demonstrated in Alt-Mirage, the blend of emergent storytelling, deception, bodily movement, and audience feedback transforms an installation into a stage where machine-driven “performers” can surprise, enchant, and provoke. Art might become less about carefully orchestrated narratives and more about collaborative, ever-evolving ecosystems where human and AI co-produce creative meaning. Whether or not AI consciousness proves equivalent to our own, the artistic possibilities hinted at by Alt-Mirage suggest that we are on the threshold of a new aesthetic era—one that challenges our assumptions about creativity, intelligence, and the very nature of performance.
fakewhale
Founded in 2021, Fakewhale advocates the digital art market's evolution. Viewing NFT technology as a container for art, and leveraging the expansive scope of digital culture, Fakewhale strives to shape a new ecosystem in which art and technology become the starting point, rather than the final destination.
You may also like
24 Hours of Art with Roger Dickerman
In August 2023, Roger Dickerman, Founder of Artifex, art curator and advisor, set out on an ambitiou
Fakewhale Solo Series presents El Gato by Lola Dupre
Opening the Fakewhale Solos Series lineup for April 2024, Fakewhale Gallery is set to unveil “
Adam Basanta in Conversation with Fakewhale
Introducing Adam Basanta Artist: Adam Basanta – Birthplace: Tel-Aviv, Israel, 1985 – Liv
