Christie's online auction of AI-generated artworks that ran from February 20 to March 5 realized $728,784, compared to its $600,000 projection. The sale had an 82% sell-through rate, but is this really a good result?

As reported in advance of the sale in  Artists Opposed To Auction Of AI-Augmented Artworks this sale was controversial. Christie's was proud to be mounting the first ever auction to be dedicated to works produced either entirely by AI techniques or by human hand with a substantial AI contribution, promoting with the claim:

"The auction redefines the evolution of art and technology, exploring human agency in the age of AI within fine art. From robotics to GANs to interactive experiences, artists incorporate and collaborate with artificial intelligence in a variety of mediums including paintings, sculptures, prints, digital art and more."

An open letter signed by over 5,600 individual urged Christie’s to cancel the event, pointing out that AI-generated artworks rely on datasets trained using copyrighted material without compensation. The letter ended with a plea:

“Your support of these models, and the people who use them, rewards and further incentivizes AI companies’ mass theft of human artists’ work. We ask that, if you have any respect for human artists, you cancel the auction.” 

Christie's went ahead regardless of the petition and in its press release about the outcome reported it as a success both in financial terms and it meeting its objectives. According to Nicole Sales Giles, vice president of Christie's and director of digital art sales:

 “with this project, our goal was to spotlight the brilliant creative voices pushing the boundaries of technology and art. We also hoped collectors and the wider community would recognize their influence and significance in today’s artistic landscape. The results of this sale confirmed that they did.”

The results announcement also revealed that the auction had reached a new and younger audience with 37% of those who registered to bid were completely new to Christie's and 48% of bidders were Millennials or members of Gen Z. 

In terms of revenue, the highlight was Machine Hallucinations – ISS Dreams – A by Refik Anadol which fetched $277,200. This exceeded its estimate of $150,000 - $200,000 but it has to be remembered that the figure of $277,200 includes the Buyer's premium so the hammer price was probably $220,000 only 1 or 2 bids beyond the high estimate.

Refik Anadol is a Turkish-American artist and pioneer of a practice he calls ‘data painting’. A  former artist-in-residence at Google, Anadol has spent the best part of a decade using quantum computing and artificial intelligence algorithms to transform raw information into abstract art. This work used a data set of more than 1.2 million images taken from the International Space Station and satellites. Executed in 2021, it consists of two components, a 16-minute video of the AI-driven data painting created using custom software and a non-fungible token. This work is artist proof number two from an edition of five plus two artist’s proofs and is sold with a display screen and all accompanying hardware.

The two works I described in my previous report both came close to their high estimates. Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst’s diptych Embedding Study 1 & 2 which was one brought in $94,500 on an estimate of between $70,000 and $90,000, while Keke's Golden Breath achieved USD 21,240 on an estimate of between $15,000 and $20,000

Other works didn't reach their estimates. The most spectacular fail to my mind was Alexander Reben's Untitled Robot Painting which had an estimate of $100 to $1,728,000. The work started as a blank canvas measuring 120 x 144 inches with an inkjet printer positioned at the top left on the horizontal and vertical rails and was actually generated in the Rockerfeller Centre as the auction took place in response to bids made on it, the idea being that for every $100 bid a tile measuring 1 square inch would be added starting in the centre. The title of the work was to be added at the conclusion of the sale

Here, on the left is a sample of what was expected of a successful experience, and on the right is final artwork on this occasion.  I do feel sorry for in the person who made the final bid, paying $8,190 when Buyer's premium was added, for a work measuring 8 x 8 inches in the middle of a huge canvas.

There were five lots that were unsold by the end of the sale. This one stood out for having a cynical title, Nightcall (Not AI):

According to the catalog artist Ivona Tau (b, 1990):

"navigates the entangled relationship between memory, technology, and emotion. Nightcall (Not AI) is rooted in her defining GAN series, where personal photography dissolves into fluid, dreamlike landscapes, capturing the fragmented and ambiguous nature of urban life as it is remembered and felt." 

This work is a print measuring 60 × 60 cm, spray paint on aluminum dibond, of an image made using styleGAN, Python and is accompanied by a digital certificate of authenticity powered by T.R.A.C.E. Its estimate was $7,000 to $10,000 but it failed to meet its reserve, probably $5,000. So, Perhaps art collectors are not prepared to pay a high price for a GAN-generated artwork after all.

More Information

Augmented Intelligence - Catalog 

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