Artist invites people to 'soul scanning' by AI model in Macao show

Internationally renowned artist Cai Guo-Qiang has recently opened an exhibition in Macao. More specially, he is showing some 20 new works created by cAI?, an AI model developed by himself and his team, grounded on his research in AI beginning in 2017.

Titled cAI?: Soul Scan, the exhibition is being held at Navy Yard No 1, formerly a dockyard's mechanical room and later transformed into Macao Contemporary Art Center, and organized by MGM.

Viewers get to see the works of gunpowder art Cai is best known for. He designed fireworks for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The viewers are also welcome to interact with AI at an installation powered by AI-controlled robotic arms.

Cai has been training cAI? to deep learn his works, archives and areas of interest. For the Macao exhibition, the model also learned about its history and culture.

The model has participated in Cai's several projects. For example in August, it generated a digital animation to resurrect Cai's unrealized daytime fireworks for the Paris Olympics. The video of the work was released as a digital artwork.