When Whisky meets AI

Today in the art world there is a clear trend towards more tactile, physical art forms, such as painting, ceramics, and the use of materials like concrete and felt. This shift towards more hands-on, sensory experiences is in stark contrast to the increasing prevalence of digital art and the growing disconnection from physical, tangible objects.

L’atelier by Glenfiddich.

When Glenfiddich briefed us to celebrate their single malt 30Y edition bottle by highlighting their ongoing connection with the art world, this dichotomy was our starting point for “L’atelier by Glenfiddich.”

In close collaboration with Glenfiddich’s PR agency Oona we launched a series of exhibits that gave an insight into the (r)evolution of the art world by presenting a number of artists that illustrate the ongoing movements. The selection included both young and established artists that were presented at Gaggarin gallery in Brussels and at the Wunderwall in Antwerp.

An interesting look at the current state of the arts, but taking it one step further, we tried to imagine what the future of art might look like ?

Experiments with AI programmes suggest that the future of creation may be dominated by algorithms, so as we considered the current state of the arts, it seemed only appropriate to consider the role that AI may play in the future of the art world.

So what if we describe the art we see to an AI generator ?

As an experiment, AI generators were fed with objective descriptions of the art works presented by “L’atelier by Glenfiddich”. The results were quite mesmerizing.  Not only to the general audience, but even more so to the artists that presented their works.

We created a video loop in order to illustrate the process to the gallery visitors:

While AI-generated works may not be created in the traditional sense, they can still be considered a unique creation and have the potential to be deeply impactful and thought-provoking.

The Cherry on the cake of L’atelier by Glenfiddich was a limited edition Single Malt Whisky. Typically, these editions are celebrated with an exclusive label - often created by an artist. 

The limited edition bottle we presented at “L’atelier by Glenfiddich” was emblazoned with an exclusive label, that was this time generated by an AI generator. (Header image of this article)

The project resulted in a considerable amount of attention both in traditional and online media and a strong story for this exclusive single malt edition. Massive downloads of the AI generator by artists, gallery dwellers and all other humans suggest that this is only the beginning. To be continued...