AI-Generated Images Challenge Photography's Relationship with Reality

The fundamental question in interpreting photography revolves around its relationship with reality. While a photograph is not reality itself, its creation traditionally implied a connection to something that exists. However, this connection did not guarantee objectivity; the photographer's choices in framing and perspective mean every image is an interpretation.

AI-generated images that mimic photography now cast doubt on this very notion of a real-world reference. A moment that never happened can now appear as if it did. On Hungarian Photography Day, art historian and critic Bán András, along with photographer and visual artist Gőbölyös Luca, discussed how we are adapting to this new visual entity and what it means for our understanding of photography.

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Artists who have been active for a long time, and masters of photography in general, have established a standard, an aesthetic practice, a taste over roughly 150 years. This has naturally evolved significantly during that time. When we look at a photograph today, we also consider whether it is simple communication, information transfer, or something more complex that deeply affects us, touches us on an elemental level. This mode of photographic expression, let's call it photographic art, has its own practice, its peaks, and its limitations.

The III. National Salon of Photography includes a dedicated section on AI-generated images. Curators Bán András and Kincses Károly have selected works that investigate AI's place within photographic thought. "Artists who have been active for a long time, and masters of photography in general, have established a standard, an aesthetic practice, a taste over roughly 150 years," Bán András explained. "This has naturally evolved significantly during that time. When we look at a photograph today, we also consider whether it is simple communication, information transfer, or something more complex that deeply affects us, touches us on an elemental level. This mode of photographic expression, let's call it photographic art, has its own practice, its peaks, and its limitations."

Bán András highlighted how the use of AI complicates these established notions. "We weren't trying to decide what counts as art among AI-generated images," he emphasized. "Instead, we reviewed the paths practicing artists are taking when they try to incorporate AI into their toolkit." The exhibition's sixth room serves as a cross-section rather than a definitive statement, showcasing various artistic strategies for integrating new technology into existing visual practices. One approach involves using AI not as a standalone subject but as a component within a more complex work, a method employed by Gőbölyös Luca in her installation, which draws from her grandmother's drawings and stories.

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We weren't trying to decide what counts as art among AI-generated images. Instead, we reviewed the paths practicing artists are taking when they try to incorporate AI into their toolkit.