Art Exhibition Timing Idealized: Artist-Curator Adam Heft Berninger Emphasizes Current Moment as Optimal for Gallery Opening
Adam Heft Berninger, an art world veteran, has opened a gallery in Manhattan's Lower East Side that stands out amidst market slowdowns and corrections. The new gallery, aptly named Heft, focuses on a distinctive category of contemporary artists who work with systems - generative code, machine learning, scanners, and even Lego tiles. Berninger is careful to distance their work from the flattening "AI art" label.
In an interview with our website, Berninger explains, "Online, the success rate of changing someone's mind about AI art is basically zero. In person? Almost 100%." He believes the lack of physical exhibitions has led to misconceptions about this innovative body of work.
The artists Berninger champions often employ algorithms, scanners, or coded instructions, but it is the thought process that links them. "It's about setting up systems, like rules or structures, that guide the work and allow for discovery," Berninger states, adding that the focus is on the artistic intention, not the technology.
Heft is not an "AI gallery"; it's a contemporary art gallery that happens to feature artists who use contemporary tools. Berninger uses "systems art" to differentiate the art on display from what he refers to as "AI art" that fetishizes machine output over creative process.
Berninger believes that his gallery provides a unique platform for these systems-based artists, especially as the art worlddigests the implications of emergent technologies. He views his space as a place for genuine dialogue and intends to showcase new works every three to four weeks.
Berninger is also committed to making digital art accessible to collectors, offering pieces priced between $2,000 and $10,000. Additionally, he has made it possible for collectors to acquire unique digital works for a lower price through online sales.
In summary, Adam Heft Berninger is creating a space in Manhattan that offers a more holistic, intimate experience with digital art. He hopes to bridge the gap between esoteric tech-focused art and a wider audience that can appreciate the creative methodologies behind the artworks.
Adam Heft Berninger's gallery, named Heft, in Manhattan's Lower East Side, specializes in contemporary artists who work with systems, such as generative code, machine learning, scanners, and Lego tiles. Berninger differentiates this work from the "AI art" label, stating that it's not about fetishizing machine output, but rather about the artistic intention and the thought process that links these artists. Heft is not solely an "AI gallery"; it's a contemporary art gallery that showcases systems art. Berninger aims to make digital art accessible to collectors, offering pieces priced between $2,000 and $10,000, and making unique digital works available for lower prices through online sales. He views his gallery as a unique platform for systems-based artists, particularly as the art world navigates emerging technologies.
