21 December 2022

Fashion.at in conversation with the language model 'ChatGPT' about performative art, performance art, Nan Goldin and iconic backstage images on occasion of the exhibition 'On Stage' at the mumok

Recently, the mumok - Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien presented next year's programme which begins with the exhibition 'On Stage. All the Art World's a Stage' (from 15 March 2023) of performance as well as performative art from the 1960s up to nowadays with closer views on topics like 'Gender and Identity Politics' and how artists like Cindy Sherman, Jakob Lena Knebl / Ashley Hans Scheirl, Wolfgang Tillmans, or Nan Goldin approached the theme. For the press, mumok provided a picture by Nan Goldin named 'James Having His Hair Done Backstage at Jean Colonna Show'. How does this fit together with the exhibition title 'On Stage'? Nan Goldin is not a performance artist. Fashion.at started a conversation with the language processing AI model 'ChatGPT' - a new, very convenient way of obtaining information, even when the double control should not be given up.

Fashion.at asked at first the crucial question about the definition of the basic terms which is for ChatGPT, trained with curated and selected information from the internet (books, websites,...), a rather minor challenge.

Question Fashion.at: What's the difference between performative art and performance art?

Answer by ChatGPT (conversation from today, openai.com/blog/chatgpt/): "Performative art refers to art that is created through the act of performing, as opposed to being a static, physical object. This can include live music performances, theater, dance, and other types of performances that involve the body and movement. Performative art is often ephemeral and not meant to be captured or preserved, as the performance itself is the art.

Performance art, on the other hand, is a type of art that involves the live execution of an action or series of actions, often with the intention of communicating a message or idea to an audience. Performance art can include elements of theater, dance, and other performing arts, but it is typically more experimental and avant-garde in nature, and may incorporate elements such as spoken word, visual art, and other forms of media. Performance art can be presented in a variety of settings, including galleries, theaters, and public spaces.

In general, performative art refers to any art that involves performance, while performance art refers specifically to a type of art that uses the body and live performance as its primary medium."

Asked for examples of performative art, ChatGPT names singing, dancing, stand-up comedy, etc.; examples for performance art are according to the AI model happenings, interactive installations (defined by ChatGPT closer as artworks that involve the participation of the audience), site-specific performances, etc.

Question (Fashion.at): Are Nan Goldin's backstage photos performative art?

Answer (ChatGPT): "Nan Goldin's backstage photographs could potentially be considered examples of performative art, depending on how they are contextualized and interpreted. Performative art refers to a type of art that is created through the performance of a specific action or series of actions, and Goldin's backstage photographs capture moments of performance, such as the styling of hair and the application of makeup, as well as the preparations and rehearsals leading up to a fashion show or other public performance.

In this sense, Goldin's backstage photographs could be seen as documenting and exploring the performative nature of fashion and the ways in which it is used to present a specific identity or appearance to the world. However, whether or not these photographs are considered performative art would depend on the specific context in which they are presented and the intention of the artist in creating them."

ChatGPT's information is, as mentioned in this article earlier, derived from a diverse dataset of text from the internet. The AI has until yet (fast checked today) no information about why Jaime King named herself James King or where the image appeared first. Fashion.at checked several sources online and found the information that James was the childhood nickname of the model and today actress Jaime King chosen in the 90s as the agency already represented another model with the name Jaime or that the image appeared first at a New York Times Magazine cover story in 1996.

Fashion.at asked ChatGPT if the image was first published in the New York Times Magazine.

Answer (ChatGPT): "...It is possible that the photograph was published in the New York Times Magazine, but I do not have access to that information…."

It is very probable that the information will be delivered fact-checked at the exhibition 'On Stage' at the mumok in Vienna.

Image: Nan Goldin 'James Having His Hair Done Backstage at Jean Colonna Show', Paris, 1995. Farbfotografie | Color photograph, 40 x 49.9 cm. mumok - Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Schenkung aus Privatbesitz/donation from a private collection 2005, © Nan Goldin. The image will be on view at the exhibition 'On Stage. All the Art World's a Stage' from 15 March 2023 until 14 January 2024 at the mumok in Vienna.