French AI art collective Obvious is making its debut in Korea with the exhibition A New Horizon of Surrealism: IMAGINE, set to take place at Sun Gallery in Insa-dong, Seoul.

This exhibition is divided into three sections, offering a new paradigm of artistic creation that merges human subconsciousness with AI-driven innovation. Marking the 100th anniversary of André Breton’s Surrealist Manifesto, the show reinterprets the essence of surrealism through modern technology.

The first section presents a series of five large-scale landscape paintings. These works, depicting surreal visions of mountains, seas, and marshlands emerging from the subconscious, explore the fluid boundary between human perception and the natural world.

The second section features a collection of 15 AI-generated portraits that analyze human emotions. Each portrait visualizes a different psychological state—anxiety, joy, fear, detachment, and melancholy—shedding light on how AI perceives and translates the complexity of human feelings. This segment reexamines the surrealists’ deep fascination with the human psyche from a contemporary perspective.

The final section offers an interactive experience, including a real-time AI poetry generator and Exquisite Corpse, an installation that instantly transforms audience ideas into images. Visitors can actively participate in the creative process, engaging in a collaborative exploration of human-AI artistic symbiosis.

During the exhibition, special events will be held. An opening ceremony with Obvious artists in attendance is scheduled for the 8th, followed by an academic discussion on the 11th, co-hosted by Hongik University’s Graduate School of Cultural and Arts Management and the Korean Society of Arts and Cultural Management.

Obvious first gained international recognition in 2018 when their AI-generated artwork was auctioned at Christie’s for $430,000 (approximately 500 million KRW), marking a milestone in AI art history. The collective extends beyond traditional art practice, collaborating with institutions such as Sorbonne University and the French National Research Agency (ANR) to explore the boundaries of AI-generated creativity. Their works have been exhibited at prestigious institutions, including the Hermitage Museum and the National Museum of China, sparking discourse at the intersection of art and technology.

The exhibition will run throughout the month, providing Korean audiences with an opportunity to experience the evolving landscape of AI-driven art.

Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com