The Artist is not Present

Who is the author when creation passes through many hands - and algorithms?

Memes from the previous year's Schmiede Festival were described by various participants in their own words. These descriptions became prompts for DALL·E. The AI-generated images were then converted into paint-by-numbers canvases, which were colored in over ten days by artists, producers, and media professionals at Schmiede Hallein 2022.

The work interrogates authorship - not only in relation to generative AI, but across any creative process involving tools, services, and collaborators. The performance reignited questions that never fully disappeared from conceptual and media art: What counts as art? Who is the creator?

Notably, the AI output itself was rarely questioned. The clear framework established by media artists ensured the work was read as media art rather than hobbyist paint-by-numbers. The tedious act of filling in predetermined shapes became, paradoxically, the most human element in a chain of distributed creativity.