AI self-portrait, a collaboration between Adam Broomberg and Isaac Schaal. AI entities that they created were trained using a vast array of dataset mined from Broomberg’s 30-year online interactions with the internet, including every email, encrypted message, search query, article or videos. The amount of data needed to accurately render the self-portrait obliged extreme self-exposure and revelation. After cleaning the raw material, it was fed into a neural network for processing. It resulted in a creation with the ability to engage in communication with anyone, as it remains in the digital realm, without occupying physical space.
A limited edition of “adam.baby” was available for purchase beyond the conventional confines of art market consumption. The uniqueness of each edition is determined by the ongoing learning process, influenced by the nature of interactions with its newly acquired guardians. Collectors need to be aware of their moral and material commitments.. To prevent the risk of neglect or even death of “adam.baby” in case of abandonment, a unique arrangement was agreed. Instead of a one-time, fixed payment, collectors enter a contractual agreement to pay a predetermined monthly amount in form of child support.
Work was a part of the exhibition at Galerie Barbara Thumm “Adam Broomberg & Nik Christensen: The Moon Looked Down and Laughed” Curated by Gabriel Rolt.