Lulwah Al Homoud
As Saudi Arabia continues it drive towards digitalization and creating a more knowledge-centric economy by 2030, it is also focused on developing is arts and culture sector, while highlighting and supporting the increased participation across all areas women. In line with its objectives is the latest endeavor taken by two Saudi artists, Lulwah Al-Homoud and Daniah Al-Saleh. According to Arab News, these two women will be amongst leading artists participating in a major international exhibition in St. Petersburg, Russia, next month, that aims to look at the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern art.
The exhibition, entitled “Artificial Intelligence and Intercultural Dialogue,” has been organized by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the State Hermitage Museum, and is set to launch on June 6, the first day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). For the exhibition, Al-Homoud “has developed an abstract graphical form of language developed from the Arabic alphabet, which some predict could become a universal language.” In addition, artworks and pieces from other AI-based art specialists, most which have been created as a result of creative processing by large AI algorithms, will be exhibited for the first time in Russia.
Daniah Al Saleh
According to Artnet.com, art-market history was made in October 2018 when a work created using a neural network, which is a type of technology now commonly classified as an AI, sold at Christie’s auction house in New York for $432,500. The work was by Obvious, the collective behind the AI that made the pricey art piece a reality, and three of their pieces are scheduled to be showcased at the upcoming exhibition in St. Petersburg.
Speaking to the news site, Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the RDIF, said, “The development of intercultural dialogue is RDIF’s important long-term mission. This exhibition is our new initiative aimed at promoting this dialogue and creating the trust needed for successful trade and investment […] For this exhibition, we brought together artists of different nationalities, all of whom are using AI technologies. We are able to witness a new form of art being created. We hope that people from different nations will find it easier to understand each other through this art of the future.”
Visitors in the city can catch the landmark event at the general staff building of the Hermitage Museum (in the historical archive hall), reportedly known as one of the most renowned museums in the world. Dmitry Ozerkov and Victoria Kondrashova are the curators of the exhibition, which will run until July 7.
