Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev on AI, Digital Trauma, and the Future of Art

In an interview conducted at the MANN museum in Naples during the UnframingKnowledge conference, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev discusses the impact of artificial intelligence on human cognition and art. She argues that AI, like previous technologies, acts as a prosthesis that atrophies analytical thinking, but that this loss will be compensated by the growth of intuitive, emotional, and embodied knowledge. Christov-Bakargiev criticizes the art world's reluctance to fully embrace the digital revolution, calling it the primary trauma of our time. She defends the acquisition of NFTs for museum collections, citing Beeple's FTX BOARD MEETING, DAY #5676 11.13.2022 and Agnieszka Kurant's Sentimentite #57 at Castello di Rivoli, and dismisses moralistic attitudes toward digital art. The conference, part of the European P+ARTS project, was co-organized by NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti) led by Guido Tattoni, along with the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli and other Italian AFAM institutions. Christov-Bakargiev, former director of dOCUMENTA 13 (2012) and Castello di Rivoli (2016-2023), emphasizes the need for direct, corporeal engagement with artworks in museums, echoing Achille Bonito Oliva.