The story of AI Hokusai started in 2024, when its creators – Evgeny Merman, Vladimir Opredelenov, and Anna Shvets – invited artists from all corners of the globe to take part in neural network training. The project was envisioned as a digital fusion of the traditional legacy of Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), created with the help of intercultural interpretation and reevaluation. The outcome of this groundbreaking art endeavor is a virtual exhibition space that erases time and space constraints, inviting visitors to an immersive journey.
The AI Hokusai project is dedicated to the exploration of the growing connectivity of AI and innovative technology with centuries-old human creative traditions. Its founders have spotted a world of exciting opportunities in studying this link from technological, anthropological, and philosophical perspectives, thus giving an in-depth view of contemporary AI-powered artistic practices.
This arttech project emerged from close collaboration of eight hand-picked artists, working side by side for three months, each sharing their unique perspective on Hokusai’s legacy. The French Bechu & Associés and NADK.io oversaw the project’s digital architecture. The outcome of intense creative work is the Mysterious Temple and Creative Castle, linking tradition and innovation, the galleries of which host the displayed digital artwork.
Understanding the value of this project is impossible without taking a closer look at the figure of Katsushika Hokusai and his contribution to the world of art. This talented Japanese artist worked at the verge of the 18th and 19th centuries, moving artistic practice and education far forward. A pioneer of algorithmic art education, a person who linked Western and Eastern art traditions, and a creator of manga tutorials still used in contemporary art, Hokusai is still associated with simplicity and method in art instruction.
The blend of Hokusai’s authentic art education and creation methods and the contemporary AI component is currently presented at “AI Hokusai: Legacy Encoded.” This virtual exhibition shows its creators’ unique view of the future of creativity and ethics, from Alex May’s “Essence,” offering a reinterpretation of the ukiyo-e philosophy, to the video art piece “Demons and Monsters” by Demis Semenov, aka Saint Denis. Other notable exhibits include the audiovisual work “Hyphae” by Roxana Vazquez and Carlos Wyszogrod, “The Wave of Spirits” by Oksana Fedchyshyn, and Julio Cesar Palacio’s electronic sound compositions.
IKONOSPACE, a German digital studio, was responsible for the integration of artwork and UI design, while TAtcher’s Art Management handled its entire production and communications work.
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