For digital artist Mike Winkelmann, more commonly known as Beeple, Nanjing in East China’s Jiangsu Province holds significant meaning for him as this is where he will host his first solo museum show at the Deji Art Museum on Thursday.
Photo: Courtesy of Deji Art Museum
“The museum in Nanjing is the perfect place for blending the understanding of the past through the lens of technology,” the American artist, who was positioned “among the top three most valuable living artists” after one of his works sold for $69 million at Christie’s in 2021, told the Global Times in an email on Wednesday.
“China is absolutely crushing it in the digital art space right now. The sheer creativity and boldness coming from Chinese artists are strong, and it’s inspiring to see how they’re pushing the boundaries especially with regards to AI,” he noted.
Some of the most advanced AI tools are coming out of China. As the scene grows, “I think we’re going to see China become a major hub for digital art on a global scale as it is already much more digitally native than many parts of the world,” he said.
In Nanjing, the Beeple: Tales from A Synthetic Future exhibition features prominent digital art pieces from over 20 years ago “when I first started making digital art as well as pieces that were completed just a few months ago.”
“This wide-ranging exhibition is the first I have ever done and it’s been amazing to reflect on the themes and ideas that have stayed constant throughout my artistic journey,” he said.
Photo: Courtesy of Deji Art Museum
Among these exhibits are some of his most iconic works, including Everydays, Human One, S.2122 and pieces created exclusively for the Nanjing exhibition, which explore his observations of ecological and social realities as well as other hot AI topics.
Human One is Beeple’s first kinetic sculpture, featuring a “traveler” wearing a spacesuit and helmet. He is the first man born in the virtual world of the metaverse, endlessly trekking in an ever-changing virtual landscape. For each exhibition, Beeple designs for the traveler a brand-new journey based on current issues of concern. The Nanjing exhibition at the Deji Art Museum debuts Chapter Five, The Singularity: Phase One, which was inspired by the increasingly intense relationship between Al and humanity.
Beeple raises the question whether humanity will be replaced by Al. He says this is a critical issue for future society, reminding mankind to be cautious about excessive technological advancement and to pursue a harmonious coexistence of humans and machines.
Photo: Courtesy of Deji Art Museum
Hans Ulrich Obrist, the artistic director of London’s Serpentine Galleries and the exhibition’s advisor, told the Global Times, “It is really important that artists can have a role in that conversation. That we don’t just leave the AI debate to the technology companies. In that sense, I don’t think it’s about replacement, it’s more about collaboration.”
Beeple expressed his desire to explore more opportunities in China as “the appetite for digital art there is huge.”
“There’s a lot of room to collaborate and create something really special. I’d love to do more exhibitions and events in China to connect directly with the audience. It’s all about building those relationships and bringing our art to new people who appreciate it in ways we can’t even imagine,” he said.
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Beeple is the professional name used by Mike Winkelmann, a digital artist and designer whose work incorporates references to contemporary politics, pop culture, and science fiction. Often irreverent and sardonic in tone, Beeple’s artistic production responds to the news and internet culture, metabolizing images and stories in real time.
Beeple gained prominence for his ongoing work Everydays: The First 5000 Days, initiated in 2007, wherein the artist creates a unique image and uploads it to his website daily. His sculptured work evokes distinctive realms that find echo in worlds from the Hellenistic to the cybernated. By paying homage to the rich history of digital art and reflecting on the future of humanity and media, he challenges the fantasies surrounding emerging technologies, expanding the blurred boundaries between digital and physical existence.
