What is an Artificial Artist?
“Artificial intelligence reactivates fundamental questions that have long preoccupied philosophers, art theorists, and academics regarding authorship and creativity in artistic production. At the heart of these debates lies the question: who can legitimately claim the status of author of a work of art when AI systems are involved in its creation? Does authorship belong to the artist who conceived the idea (the prompts), selected the outputs, and made curatorial decisions about the final work? Or should we attribute creativity to the AI tool itself, which performs the actual generative labor, drawing on its training and algorithmic processes to produce new results? Or perhaps to its programmers? Moreover, we must consider the role of prior tradition embedded within these systems: the countless artists, writers, and creators whose works were used to train AI models, forming, in essence, the foundation upon which all AI-generated content rests. It compels us to reconsider long-held assumptions about human uniqueness in the creative act and challenges our traditional frameworks for understanding artistic production,” explains Emanuele Arielli, present in Romania for the first time on this occasion.

Emanuele Arielli – Italian philosopher, professor, and researcher – comes to Iași for the first time. A faculty member at IUAV University of Venice, Emanuele explores the intersection of aesthetics, artificial intelligence, and visual perception. Through his works and studies, he has profoundly influenced the way we think about the relationship between technology, art, and knowledge, contributing to the redefinition of contemporary discourse on creativity and humanity in the digital age.

The event will be moderated by Cristiana Ursache and will take place on October 23, 2025, at the “Anton Diaconu” Hall, Faculty of Performance, Composition, and Theoretical Musical Studies, Str. Costache Negruzzi no. 9, Iași.

To participate, please register using this form.

Acest eveniment face parte din proiectul REZIDENȚA ARTISTICĂ 110, organizat de Asociația Galeria Artep și co-finanțat de Administrația Fondului Cultural Național, sesiunea I/2025, Aria Tematică Rezidențe de Creație.
Organised by: Galeria Artep Association
Cultural project co-financed by: National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN)
Parteneri: Universitatea de Arte G. Enescu Iași, Institutul de Cercetare Multidisciplinara în Arta (ICMA)
Parteneri media: ASOCIAȚIA EMPOWER ARTISTS, Asociația PIN pentru Promovarea Tehnologiei și lndustriilor Creative Revista TIMPUL, PROPAGARTA
The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the works may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.