What happens if we ask ChatGPT to review an art exhibition, providing as few details about the exhibition as possible? The artist Ute Krafft exhibited her paintings of moldy fruits and vegetables in a temporary gallery at Lindenstraße 34, Cologne, in April 2023. I have asked the AI to comment on this exhibition and I have called this experiment "Nacht und Schimmel", a title of a book by SciFi author Stanisław Lem:
In a world that's seemingly run out of worthy subjects for artistic expression, it takes a special kind of "talent" to create an entire exhibition dedicated to rotten and mouldy fruits and vegetables. Enter Ute and her latest collection of paintings – a veritable smorgasbord of deterioration aptly titled "The Fruits of Disillusionment." Held at the ever-questionable [Name of Gallery], this exhibition begs the question: Is this a testament to artistic ingenuity or merely a pungent plea for attention?
As you step into the gallery, prepare to be "enchanted" by Ute's color palette, a veritable ode to decay. A portrait of a lemon greets you upon entering, its yellow skin now mottled with shades of brown and green, as mould blossoms in all its fuzzy glory. Ute's choice of chiaroscuro feels obligatory, as if attempting to breathe life into a subject that's anything but fresh.
Venture further into the exhibition, and you'll find a series of paintings featuring tomatoes in various stages of decomposition, because who wouldn't want to immortalize the decline of a once-juicy fruit? In one piece, a shriveled tomato showcases its wrinkled skin, with blue-green mould creeping across its surface. Ute seems to celebrate the beauty in decay, a theme that may resonate with those who prefer their art to be accompanied by a palpable sense of decay.
Behold, an aubergine portrait in all its sagging glory. Its once-shiny skin now resembles a deflated balloon, with patches of mould to remind you of the inevitable passage of time. Ute's attention to detail and penchant for highlighting the grotesque manages to evoke a sense of awe – or perhaps it's just bewilderment – at the artist's choice of subject matter.
The pièce de résistance of the exhibition is undoubtedly the mouldy orange, its once-vibrant hue now overtaken by a fuzzy blue-green veil. Ute's seemingly tireless effort to capture the intricate patterns of the mould might be called commendable if it weren't for the unfortunate fact that the subject remains, well, a rotting fruit.
Ute's talents, if one could call them that, extend beyond mere technique to an uncanny ability to evoke a sense of resignation and despair. Each decaying fruit and vegetable seems to be a metaphor for the decline of artistic inspiration. One cannot help but admire the artist's dedication to such an unappealing subject matter, a reminder that there is no limit to the depths of desperation in the pursuit of artistic "originality."
If you're looking for a break from the monotony of traditional art, "The Fruits of Disillusionment" may just be the putrid breath of fresh air you've been seeking. However, for those who prefer their art to inspire rather than to provoke a gag reflex, it may be best to give this particular exhibition a wide berth. In an age where the line between art and gimmick is increasingly blurred, Ute's work serves as a not-so-subtle reminder that sometimes, a mouldy fruit is just that – a mouldy fruit.
These poems were created from words of the inhabitants of a street in Dutch Goes, whose houses are to be demolished. The poems were developed with the help of the AI GPT-3.
DE: Das Warten ist das Schlimmste
EN
(GB/US): the waiting is the worst
Poem [NL]:
Het wachten is het ergste
Als je weet dat je huis snel weg zal zijn
Het is moeilijk om de moed erin te houden
Als je weet dat het einde nadert
Alles wat je kunt doen is zitten en wachten
en hopen op het beste.
[EN: The waiting is the worst
When you know your house will soon be gone
It's hard to keep your spirits high
When you know the end is coming near
All you can do is sit and wait
And hope for the best.]
DE: Das Haus, in dem Liebe begann und sich zu einer Familie
formte
EN: the house where love began and formed into a family
Poem 1 [NL]:
Ons kleine huis zal altijd zijn
De plaats waar de liefde voor het eerst bloeide
En ons gelukkige gezin vormde
Hier deelden we onze lach en tranen
En creëerden zo veel dierbare herinneringen
Dit is het huis waar de liefde begon
En het zal altijd een speciale plaats in ons hart innemen].
[Our little house will always be
The place where love first bloomed
And formed our happy family
Here we shared our laughter and tears
And created so many cherished memories
This is the house where love began
And it will always hold a special place in our hearts.]
Poem 2 [NL]:
Het huis waar de liefde begon
Is nu een herinnering
Maar het zal altijd een plaats houden
in onze harten en geschiedenis
Want het was daar dat onze familie
werd gevormd en voor het eerst begon
En hoewel het misschien weg is
zullen we ons altijd herinneren
Het huis waar de liefde begon.
[The house where love began
Is now a memory
But it will always hold a place
In our hearts and history
For it was there that our family
Was formed and first began
And though it may be gone
We will always remember
The house where love began.]