Grégory Chatonsky's AI-Generated 'Terre Seconde' at Palais de Tokyo

Grégory Chatonsky's installation 'Terre Seconde' (2019) is a self-generating artwork that uses artificial intelligence to create an alternative planet. It is part of the exhibition 'alt+R, Alternative Réalité', showcasing winners of the Audi talents award, curated by Gaël Charbau at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris from June 21 to July 14, 2019. The work consists of a network of machines—including a server, a robot performing choreography, and a 3D printer sculpting fossils of never-existent organisms—that continuously learn and generate new territories and landscapes 'in the manner of' Earth, without being a copy. Chatonsky hides the machines behind opaque glass to avoid intimidating art audiences. The installation remains unfinished throughout the exhibition, constantly improving its knowledge of the world. The AI has also been fed with dreams of others, producing new dreams that invite interpretation. The work reflects a broader trend of artists like Pierre Huyghe (Serpentine Gallery, London) and Hito Steyerl (Venice Biennale) engaging with machine learning. Chatonsky's piece questions the nature of creativity and the machine's demiurgic task, ultimately revealing the artist's own algorithmic intent.