David Szauder: AI and Art Coexisting
written by Bill KoppPushing the creative boundaries of what's possible with artificial intelligence tools, David Szauder explores the nexus of art and technology. The Berlin-based artist's fascination with that cross-fertilization began in his native Budapest at age eight, when his family was able to acquire a Commodore 64 personal computer. While many users simply played games on the machine, Szauder instead wrote code that would generate visuals. "I started to create my first abstract images," he says, "and from that moment it escalated."
By the time he reached university, Szauder was struggling between art and technology. "I just needed to find the right path in between," he says. The solution was experimentation. "I worked with augmented reality, virtual reality, robotics, electronics, programming, 3D, 2D, even Super 8 film," he explains. "Artificial intelligence was always on my radar, but somehow I didn't like it."
Over time, technology developed to the point at which Szauder found AI potentially useful in an artistic context. His current work showcases the opportunities for synergy between art and technology. There's a surreal, cinematic quality to Szauder's stunning animations, recalling what Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí did nearly a century ago with Un Chien Andalou.
Szauder's seamless, fantastical and dreamlike animations would seem to exemplify perfection, but he waves away such assertions. "I like the imperfection of the current technology," he says. "I like the way it's making mistakes. Because we need to go through this experimental phase."
In between installations in Berlin, teaching in Budapest and launching a university-based AI studio, Szauder continues to create breathtakingly beautiful animations. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok expose his work to exponentially more viewers than the traditional art gallery circuit could ever do. "And this creates a discourse between me, my work and my audience," he says. "I'm using the magic of freedom, and AI is just a tool."