FMKs Q1 AXL LE: Axl Le
Gallery Chosun presents the ⟪FMK’s Q⟫ exhibition to explore how recent digital technologies, such as blockchain and AI, may impact contemporary art. ⟪FMK’s Q⟫ is an irregular series, and its first edition features the Chinese new media artist Axl Le.
During the COVID-19 crisis, governments worldwide implemented quantitative easing to counter economic downturns. While China’s lockdown caused logistical problems, financial markets saw bubbles, leading to a sharp rise in cryptocurrency prices and, in turn, NFT art values. Social distancing also familiarised many with online meetings and sparked widespread discussion about the metaverse.
Now, as the pandemic has eased, inflation and rising interest rates have emerged, and people are returning to physical spaces. The initial enthusiasm around new technologies has subsided, yet history shows that things cannot fully return to their previous state. Cryptocurrency prices have plummeted, and NFT art transactions have slowed, yet some galleries remain active in this space: Pace Gallery runs its own NFT platform, and Gagosian recently released Takashi Murakami NFTs. Art Basel and Frieze continue to operate online viewing rooms, while Christie’s and Sotheby’s have launched and manage their own NFT platforms.
Meanwhile, AI technologies, represented by ChatGPT, are gaining attention in the art world. Many artists now use AI for image creation, and MoMA recently exhibited works by Refik Anadol using AI, attracting considerable interest. Yet the impact of these technologies on art remains ambiguous. Digital creations still face questions about energy use, labour, copyright, and environmental impact. The value of NFTs is debated, and standards for judging machine-made works are unclear.
Will these questions be resolved for the digital-native generation? Will the way people view art remain unchanged? Will art simply split into “classical and modern” versus “digital contemporary”? Or should we even assume that art inherently carries a specific value in the first place?
