TEFAF 2025: Brushes and computers: How the art world is adapting to the rise of generative technologies

The code has changed 

This year was my first time visiting TEFAF Maastricht. I was amazed by the beauty of classical paintings presented to future buyers and curious onlookers. However,  walking through the alleys of the Modern Art section, a question came to my mind: How is the art world adapting to the development of modern technology-inspired works? 

Here, the term “technology” covers various fields. On the one hand, it covers artworks inspired by numeric tools (computers, photographs…) that were very present at the fair. But also, on the other hand, I would like to explore the place of newer tools, like generative AI, in artistic creation. How do the artists deal with these new opportunities? Are they part of their creative process? How are art dealers reacting to the rise of these new works? 

When art meets tech 

I had to walk through several galleries before finding works that fit my topic of technology-inspired art. The modern pieces always met the classic definitions of art, from oils on canvas to charcoal drawings. This is why I really liked discovering Anne-Karin Furunes’ work, from her “Paintings of Svalbard” collection, in Gallery K. This piece contrasts with the rest of the Modern Artwork, by its size and the technique used to realize it. Indeed, the Norwegian artist was inspired by photographs from the Svalbard glaciers, and realized works by manually reproducing the process of printing through perforation and pixel-like colors, giving the final result a photographic aspect. This photographic element helps to enhance sensitivity and creates thought-provoking works. This shows how modern means are inspiring artistic creation, changing the way artists create.

In addition to influencing techniques, technology also leads to changes in the types of work that are created. Patrick Heide’s gallery presented one of Hans Kotter’s creations, named Triple Cube. This piece is made with metal, plexiglas, and above all a colour-changing LED system, creating an immersive effect when looking at it, thanks to a system of mirrors in the cube. Kotter’s objective, according to Patrick Heide, is to immerse the visitor in the oeuvre with a slow change of colors. This is how technology helps to make work dynamic and extend creativity. 

Even if these examples illustrate the growing place of technology in the arts, new tools are coming to change the way modern art is made.

Deepening “creAItivity” 

If finding technology-inspired pieces at TEFAF was hard, it was even more challenging to find an AI-generated creation. But, as I turned down an alleyway, I came across an animated work by the French artist Miguel Chevalier (Bella Donna, part of his “Fractal Flowers Series”).

Being quite surprised, I stood admiring this animation for several minutes. It was the first time I had seen this kind of work. After asking the person in charge of The Mayor Gallery about it, I learned that it had been created using artificial intelligence software and that the video lasted 58 minutes (having other galleries to visit, I unfortunately didn't watch it all...). Anyway, this work caught my curiosity and I decided to find out more about AI in art. This is how I came to ask my questions to Miguel Chevalier himself. 

I started by asking him what his relationship was with AI when it came to his creative process. “For me, it represents a new territory to explore in my artistic research.” Indeed, he engages in a deep explanation about how AI enhances his creativity. Chevalier explains that AI acts as his “creative partner” that is the “mirror of his imagination”, opening new “perspectives” and exploring a world “full of surprises”. It is a “fascinating” world. To illustrate this, he takes the example of flowers, plants, or even trees that he created for some of his works. “Some tools even allow creating 3D shapes, opening up new perspectives.” Chevalier explains that creating AI pushes the boundaries of artistic creation further, “distorting and reinventing reality.” 

Chevalier started using AI tools in 2022. However, for him, this did not come as a rupture from his previous activities, but rather as a “continuum”. This “new chapter” was the logical follow-up to what he has been doing so far. “AI is a medium, just as photography and video were when they first appeared. It can be integrated into an artistic practice like any other language.” 

Still, I asked him how this new tool could come only as a new tool, when it changes in depth the relationship of an artist to his creation. “The artist remains in control of his creation”, explains Chevalier. Indeed, he is the one writing the prompts and asking the tool for specific elements. “It is a slow and iterative process.” He carries on that his creative process is not altered as he shapes his works according to his views. “I've often found that the tool doesn’t meet my expectations [...], and it is far from being a magical solution!” Still, he explains that this contributes to reinforcing creativity, as sometimes the machine proposes things that do not exactly fit his expectations but are still very relevant. “Sometimes, those deviations lead to images of striking formal richness, opening up entirely new creative paths.” Thus, using AI is a new relationship between the artist and his tool, but it doesn’t alter creativity at all. “Using AI is stimulating for me within the field of artistic creation.”

When it comes to art movements, Chevalier told me that “there is no dominant AI trend in the artistic world like Cubism or Impressionism.” He doesn’t consider himself a “pioneer” but acknowledges that few artists are using AI as a real medium in their creation like he does. However, some artists have worked with AI. Refik Anadol uses it in innovative ways to create immersive natural environments and make architectural projects. In another way, Mario Klingemann works with AI to make portraits, playing with the traditional codes of portraying and the representation of faces. 

Diving into the art 

Chevalier is currently holding an exhibition in the Grand Palais Immersif in Paris. Thus, I wanted to learn more about the audience's reaction to this new type of art, as most of us are not familiar with it. 

“Audiences often react very positively”, says the artist. “My work speaks a universal language”. Indeed, he engages people through the use of light, and even sound, appealing to their senses so that they feel completely immersed in the work. People are very demanding and they wish to know more, showing a shared curiosity regarding this new type of art. 

He agrees with the fact that it is more difficult to find a place in the art world. When I share with him my reflection that TEFAF contains a lot of classic art but not much “technological” art, he answers that “there is still some reticence. [...] But galleries like The Mayor Gallery contribute to pushing back the boundaries of art. [...] Little by little, this is helping to give digital art and artificial intelligence the place they deserve in the contemporary art world.” Also, he is glad that these types of expression find a positive echo in the public. It makes him confident that AI art will find its place in the art world pretty soon. 

AI = “Artificial Imagination”? 

My last questions were about the future of AI in artistic creation, including its limitations. “Art is first and foremost a human experience”, explains Chevalier. As he expressed earlier, AI doesn’t have the sensitivity and emotions that artists and humans have, making AI unable to become a proper creator. “The artist will always remain the author even when using tools like AI.” 

Asking him about the limits of AI regarding authorship, he also claims that “AI doesn’t create anything new by itself. It only obeys the human prompts. It is only a bank of data.” However, he still underlines a nuance to this: “It becomes more complex if an AI is fed by existing images, there's a real question of respect for intellectual property rights.” Chevalier summarizes his thoughts in this (funny) simile: “AI is like a shaker with which you can make amazing cocktails by mixing the ingredients provided by humans.” And this is, in my eyes, the key point of artistic creation with AI: the artist always keeps control of his tools. 

What’s next?   

Artists like Miguel Chevalier are changing the frame of artistic creation. By using AI tools, they want to show us their virtues in the creation. The artists even play an educational role in showing the positive aspects of AI, as it is today unavoidable in the world we live in. 

However, we must take into account the limitations of generative AI models, mainly regarding their ecological impact. These programs are consuming high quantities of water, and require a lot of electricity. According to this MIT study, by 2026, data centres are expected to consume 1,050 terawatts (placing them at fifth place in the global electricity consumers, between Japan and Russia). 

We, collectively, have to take a new look at the possibilities that unfold before our eyes. Artists who use AI invite us to take a step back and rethink our definition of art. AI tools offer many possibilities, most of them being unknown yet. As Miguel Chevalier told me, “AI is a powerful revolution, and we're still in its infancy”. 

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I would like to thank Miguel Chevalier for his time and insightful reflections. 

Also, many thanks to his partners for their availability and support. 

Cover Image: © “Extra-Natural de Miguel Chevalier (Grand Palais, Paris)” by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, 2018, licensed under CC by 2.0. Cropped from the Original.