Have You Seen This Person?, 2023
AI-generated images (DALL-E 2, myheritage, inpainting/outpainting, Adobe Photoshop)
Julia Albrecht is a German lens-based artist interested in culture, psychology, and relationships. With the recent rise of AI-generated portraits, Albrecht began to question what it means to be human in an increasingly digital age. Have You Seen This Person? is a series of portraits created by a machine algorithm that attempts to capture unique characteristics of individuals. The resulting faces do not exist in the “real” world, allowing Albrecht to think through the “realness” of identity as mediated through digital technologies. Displayed all together, the faces simultaneously reflect a 21st century salon-style portrait hang, a wanted or missing persons display, or a tiled Instagram profile. The artist describes: “As we look at these portraits, we are confronted with a profound question: have we seen these people before, or are they mere products of the machine’s imagination? The boundaries between reality and artificiality blur as AI-generated portraits challenge our perceptions of identity and humanity. They force us to reflect on the evolving relationship between technology and our human experience.”
Artist Bio
Julia Albrecht is a German lens-based artist whose work delves into psychological and cultural aspects. She uses photography, video, and writing to uncover emotional and psychological effects, particularly in relation to gender and binary relationships. Through her work, she creates spaces for viewers to connect and understand the complex experiences of these issues.
In her latest project, Have you seen this person?, Albrecht explores the world of AI-generated portraits. As we enter the age of artificial intelligence, these portraits capture each individual's unique features and characteristics with stunning accuracy and detail. However, as we gaze upon these digital creations, we are left wondering if we have seen these people before. Are they real individuals or mere figments of the machine's imagination?
Albrecht's work challenges our perceptions of identity and humanity as the lines between reality and artifice become blurred. These AI-generated portraits invite us to consider the ever-evolving relationship between technology and the human experience. They give us a glimpse into a future where machines have the ability to create, and we are left to ponder the possibilities of what this means for the future of art and creativity.
In Have you seen this person? Albrecht's artistic approach provides a fascinating exploration of what it means to be human in a digital world. Her work invites us to consider how technology is shaping the way we understand and perceive ourselves and what this means for the future of art and creativity.