AI Art Newsletter - 27 Feb 2025
AI Art Weekly – Feb 20-27, 2025
Hello there! Ready for your weekly dose of AI art buzz? From auctions and awards to new tools and contests, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive into what’s been happening in the AI art world this past week.
“Mass Theft?” AI Art Auction Sparks Backlash
| ([Artists Protest First Ever AI Art Auction at Christie’s | Art & Object](http://www.artandobject.com/news/artists-protest-first-ever-ai-art-auction-christies)) Christie’s First All-AI Art Auction Meets Resistance: Christie’s launched its “Augmented Intelligence” auction on Feb 20 – the first sale by a major auction house devoted entirely to AI-created art. The auction features 20+ lots (from NFTs to paintings) by artists like Refik Anadol, Harold Cohen, and Claire Silver, spanning five decades of AI art. But not everyone is celebrating. An open letter signed by over 3,000 artists calls for the auction’s cancellation, claiming many works were generated by models trained on copyrighted art without permission. The letter blasts these AI models for “exploit[ing] human artists” and engaging in “mass theft of human artists’ work”. Christie’s, expecting the sale to bring in more than $600,000, defended the show, saying the participating artists use AI “to enhance their bodies of work,” but the controversy has clearly struck a nerve. Bidding runs until March 5 – with a cloud of debate hanging over it. |
Tech-Art Talent Wins Big in New York
LG Guggenheim Award Goes to Ayoung Kim: South Korean artist Ayoung Kim was announced on Feb 24 as the winner of the 2025 LG Guggenheim Award (ArtAsiaPacific: Ayoung Kim Wins 2025 LG Guggenheim Award ). This prestigious prize (with a cool $100,000 honorarium) recognizes pioneers merging art and technology. Kim’s work fits the bill – she creates immersive fantasy worlds using emerging tech like AI, virtual reality, and game simulations, all woven together with research into ancient cosmologies (ArtAsiaPacific: Ayoung Kim Wins 2025 LG Guggenheim Award ). In other words, she blends the futuristic with the mythical. The Guggenheim’s jury praised how her art invites viewers to ponder “deep questions about time and the human experience in an accelerating digital age.” Kim is the third artist to receive this honor and will be featured in an upcoming Guggenheim program later this year (ArtAsiaPacific: Ayoung Kim Wins 2025 LG Guggenheim Award ). Keep an eye out for her – she’s pushing the envelope at the intersection of AI and contemporary art.
AI Art Meets Architecture in Bilbao
(Refik Anadol Will Bring AI-Powered Art to Guggenheim Bilbao, and Other News – SURFACE) Refik Anadol’s Next Exhibit Turns Data into Dreams: Famed AI artist Refik Anadol is set to unveil a mind-bending new exhibition called “Living Architecture” at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Opening March 7, the installation uses AI to reinterpret architect Frank Gehry’s iconic designs, transforming archival materials into immersive digital landscapes. Expect to be surrounded by swirling colors and forms – the show projects AI-generated visuals floor-to-ceiling, with custom soundscapes and interactive displays that respond to visitors. Running through October 2025, Living Architecture explores the ever-evolving relationship between data and design, and imagines how future architecture might merge with machine creativity. It’s also the museum’s first exhibit in a new “in situ” series, meaning it’s designed specifically for the Guggenheim’s space. If you’re in Bilbao this spring or summer, this AI-driven homage to Gehry should be on your must-see list.
Tool Time: Midjourney’s Next Tricks & Adobe’s AI Video
Midjourney Teases V7 (with Video!): The popular AI image generator Midjourney continues to level up. In January it rolled out mood board blending (mixing multiple style boards for nuanced results) and a more powerful “describe” feature to turn images into text prompts. Now the Midjourney team is hinting at the long-awaited Version 7, coming soon, which will introduce video and 3D generation capabilities. 🤯 Video and 3D! The AI art community is buzzing with anticipation to see how a text-to-image model expands into motion and dimensionality. No exact release date yet, but the dev updates suggest it’s not far off.
Adobe Fires Up AI Video Generation: Not to be outdone, Adobe dropped a big update to its Firefly generative AI. As of Feb 12, Adobe’s new Firefly app can now generate videos from text prompts (in beta) alongside images and vector ( Adobe Expands Generative AI in Firefly App ) ( Adobe Expands Generative AI in Firefly App )】. This “Generate Video” feature lets you type a scene description and get a short video clip, with options to control camera angles, styles, and even 3D-to-image function ( Adobe Expands Generative AI in Firefly App )】. It’s all part of Adobe’s push to integrate AI into creative tools – think Photoshop but for video magic. The Firefly update also introduced a Pro tier and deeper Creative Cloud integration, signaling that AI-assisted video editing could soon become mainstrea ( Adobe Expands Generative AI in Firefly App ) ( Adobe Expands Generative AI in Firefly App )】. For digital artists and content creators, these tool upgrades mean more toys to play with (and maybe new skills to learn).
Contests & Trends: No AI Allowed?
Art Competition Bans AI-Generated Work: In a twist reflecting the ongoing AI art debate, the annual High Art competition (a global digital art contest) opened its 2025 edition this week with a firm new rule: **“No AI art allowed. Proof of process may be requested for authentication.”_ (High Art Competition (@highartcompetition) - Instagram)】. Submissions just opened on Feb 20 (theme: _“Dreams & Visions”*) and run through March 20, but the organizers made it clear they want **hand-crafted, human-made art** only. This comes after last year’s contest saw a flood of AI-generated entries and community pushback. The ban illustrates a broader trend of traditional art venues drawing lines in the sand as AI tools proliferate. Some artists applaud the move, saying it keeps the playing field fair, while others argue it stifles creative experimentation. Either way, it’s a sign of the times: the art world is still figuring out where (or if) AI art belongs in competitions.
TL;DR: It’s been an action-packed week in AI art! A landmark Christie’s auction ignited an ethics showdow】, an AI-savvy artist won a major awar (ArtAsiaPacific: Ayoung Kim Wins 2025 LG Guggenheim Award )】, and a new exhibition will merge AI with architecture in stunning fashio】. On the tech side, Midjourney is gearing up for video and 3D, and Adobe’s letting us conjure videos from tex ( Adobe Expands Generative AI in Firefly App )】. And as one big art contest bans AI entrie (High Art Competition (@highartcompetition) - Instagram)】, the debate over human vs. machine creativity rages on. Stay creative (and curious), and we’ll catch you next week for more AI art adventures!
Sources: Every news blurb above links out to more details if you want to dig deeper. Happy exploring, and see you in the next issue!
