SHL0MS tricks X users with Monet painting, sells NFT as media critique
Anonymous internet artist SHL0MS posted an image of Monet's water lilies on X, claiming it was AI-generated, and asked followers to explain its aesthetic inferiority. Thousands responded with critiques. SHL0MS then revealed the painting was real, minted the tweet as an NFT titled 'Inferior Image', and sold it for about $40,000. He framed the entire episode as a media-critical performance, calling the tweet, replies, and curated criticism the artwork. Critics argue the stunt is simply rage bait, exploiting algorithmic manipulation through circular quote tweeting. SHL0MS previously spread a fake Gmail shutdown hoax and a doctored image of Trump. The work contrasts with Cornelia Sollfrank's 1997 'Female Extension', which pranked the Kunsthalle Hamburg jury with AI-generated pseudo-art websites.
Key facts
- SHL0MS posted a Monet water lilies image on X claiming it was AI-generated.
- Thousands of X users criticized the image's colors, forms, and light.
- SHL0MS revealed the image was a real Monet painting.
- He minted the tweet as an NFT and sold it for about $40,000.
- SHL0MS calls the performance a media critique titled 'Inferior Image'.
- He curated favorable replies and used circular quote tweeting to boost engagement.
- SHL0MS previously spread a fake Gmail shutdown hoax and a doctored Trump image.
- Cornelia Sollfrank's 1997 'Female Extension' pranked the Kunsthalle Hamburg with AI-generated websites.
Entities
Artists
- SHL0MS
- Claude Monet
- Ian Wilson
- Joseph Beuys
- Cornelia Sollfrank
- Donald Trump
- Bill Clinton
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Banksy
- Damien Hirst
- Marcel Duchamp
- Anika Meier
Institutions
- X
- Kunsthalle Hamburg
- Monopol Magazin
- SLEEK
- Alte Pinakothek
- Wikimedia
Locations
- Hamburg
- Germany
- Munich
- Berlin