Art Basel Hong Kong just got a dose of digital existentialism, courtesy of Doku, the genderless, ageless, nationality-free AI artist dreamt up by Lu Yang. Forget leisurely gallery strolls; Doku’s pop-up is a high-stakes game of chance where collectors blindly buy digital art. Think crypto-bro meets art snob – a match made in Silicon Valley hell, or perhaps heaven, depending on your tolerance for the avant-garde.
De Sarthe gallery, in cahoots with Sydney’s Coma gallery, is presenting Doku’s “Concept Void”: 108 unique digital pieces locked inside blind boxes. The price? Apparently within the range of an ’emerging artist.’ One can only imagine the eye-rolls of actual emerging artists. The catch? You don’t know what you’re getting until after you’ve paid. It’s art roulette, baby!
Lu Yang, the human behind the silicon curtain, claims Doku creates art through a meditative process in a virtual world. Which sounds suspiciously like letting an algorithm loose and hoping for the best. He readily admits AI tools enhance his work efficiency, something most artists probably won’t readily admit.
Jo Lawson-Tancred, author of AI and the Art Market, notes the zeitgeisty appeal of AI art, but stresses the need for “evidence of a human artist’s creative intent.” So, is Doku’s art truly art, or just a fancy screensaver? The jury’s still out, and probably arguing about copyright infringement.
Lu Yang’s own website is a chaotic explosion of digital deities and animated demons. It’s like stumbling into a Buddhist rave hosted by a cyberpunk anime convention. Appropriately disorienting.
When questioned about Doku’s motivations, the response was… well, let’s just say Lu channeled Doku through a ‘meditative state.’ The resulting email exchange was a masterclass in dodging direct answers and embracing vague pronouncements. When asked to be taken seriously, Doku replied with the zen-like statement, “I can’t control the external world, and that external world includes your judgments of me.” Deep. Or maybe just conveniently evasive.
This Art Basel debut forces a confrontation with the increasing commercialism of art, as Doku stated, “Participating in such a gathering as a virtual being…isn’t it akin to being part of a performance art system?” Indeed. The entire setup is an exercise in self-aware absurdity. A meta-commentary on the art world’s obsession with the new, the disruptive, and the utterly incomprehensible – all wrapped up in a shiny, expensive package.
Alexie Glass-Kantor, curator of the Encounters section, highlights how the installation “rewires the rules.” Which is a polite way of saying it throws a wrench into the meticulously curated engine of art market validation. Is it brilliant? Is it a scam? Is it both? Go place your bets.
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