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Introduction
The intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and networked systems has become a critical area of exploration in contemporary art practice, pushing the boundaries of what art can be and how it is experienced. This article discusses four artworks by artist Garrett Lynch IRL, the author of the article, that explore this intersection through a variety of practice-as-research (PaR) strategies. The works are I'm not Garrett Lynch IRL – DoppelGANger Portraits (2021), a series of Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) portraits; TheLastStraw (2021–23), a performative generative artwork for social media; Flag for States of Damage (2018), a performative mixed-reality artwork for the web; and The Traveller (2024), a four-channel video installation with artefacts. Each artwork's use of AI is distinct but forms part of a broader approach that researches how networks can be transformative to art practice. AI is considered as a network, comprising of human and machine elements, that can transform the practice of art by facilitating new forms of emergence. For example, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs),[1] such as the prolific number of AI image generators that have appeared on the web, employ networks as part of their learning process to generate new images based on existing images.[2] However, the emergence referred to here is not solely the emergence of intelligence defined in the field of AI.
Instead, I define emergence in relation to art theory. It is a manner in which artworks are expanded, extended or activated beyond their artist, or author, defined forms. By employing the three terms expanded, extended and activated my intention is to invoke multiple discussions within art and media theory including: Umberto Eco’s open work, in particular what he defines as "works in movement" (1989, p. 9) that allow audiences to co-create the work with the artist; expanded media, such as Gene Youngblood’s expanded cinema (1970), which theorise how media, such as film, can move beyond boundaries that often define it as a single channel, fixed duration, non-interactive form and specify how it is presented; performance theory’s activated audience that reshapes understanding of audiences as active participants instead of passive spectators and new media theory’s actioning of this through technical means as interactivity. All of these references are, in turn, underpinned by almost a century of theory in various fields that explore a shift from fixed to changing artefacts or scenarios and from passive to active audiences. These include cybernetics understand of systems as more than the sum of their parts (Von Bertalanffy, 2008), information theory’s transmitter and receiver in a communications systems (Shannon, 1948), active audience theory in media theory that argue audiences cognitively and emotionally interpret media (Chandler and Munday, 2020) and literary theory’s focus on the role of the reader in constructing meaning (Barthes, 1967). In the example of a GAN given above the shift from a fixed to changing artefact would be how a newly generated image is developed by the GAN beyond the existing image input by the artist or author and perhaps their original intentionality.
Instrumental in facilitating how works are activated, expanded or extended, is the use of language as a combined form of encoding and performative utterance (Austin, 2018). This is achieved by building on a fundamental basis of computing that all digital media is reducible to language, code and numbers (or binary) as well as a basis of communication theory that language is a social construct. Language in AI artworks simultaneously encode content, such as through input prompts,[3] from the analogue, biological or 'real' to the digital, machinic or 'virtual'[4] for an AI, as well as socially encode meaning for the artist or author. The works discussed here explore language encoding content and meaning and are, therefore, a form of communication and representation between human and machine.
Language has informed my practice for over fifteen years. The artworks discussed here continue this and afford the opportunities AI enables. Employed as part of its conception and enactment, language has in many ways come to define my practice and my practice has, in turn, (re)defined my identity through the act of a legal name change.[5] My name change is an example of how language can function as a performative utterance, a speech act or more plainly stated a manner of "doing things with words" (Austin, 2018). I become something new (identity) as a result of words spoken and written. It is not incidental that I employ both of the terms artist and author in writing about AI artworks. This intentionally refers to connections between art theory and literary theory in the twentieth-century, such as Barthes' The Death of the Author (1967), that have in AI contexts become complexified in ways unanticipated by even Barthes. In the creation of AI artworks an artist becomes an author, coding, prompting, and of course an author can become an artist, transforming words into visuals. The distinction between artist and author is blurred. Language in AI art is, therefore, equally as much a means of bringing something, such as a generated image, into being as my name change was. Its use is effectively doing things with words. However, the emergent nature of AI, artworks that are expanded, extended or activated and potentially intelligent, prescribes performative or dialogical relationships between combinations of artist/author and AI, a network of human and machine.
1. A GAN, an acronym for Generative Adversarial Network, is a framework for AI that enables machine learning based on two neural networks. The first neural network generates data and the second compares the generated data to existing data to learn how to improve subsequent generated data. 2. Networks are fundamental to the workings and access of most forms of AI as they are frequently distributed in nature due to sizeable data sets. 3. A prompt in AI is the input given to an AI system that sets the initial parameters for what it outputs. Prompts, commonly keywords, phrases, questions or more lengthy instructions, are typically in text format, however, can also be visual or sonic depending on the AI system. 4. ‘Virtual’ and ‘real’ are problematised terms in all of my practice. Often commonly misunderstood as binary opposites, ‘virtual’ is considered as non-physical/non-material (e.g. dreams or digital media) and ‘real’ is considered as physical/material (e.g. the tangible world around us), the ‘virtual’ is in fact a part of what is ‘real’ according to Deleuze and Guattari's Ontological Quadrivium which defines opposite pairs of real and possible, actual and virtual. To underline how problematic I consider these terms I employ them within scare quotes in my writing to suggest that their common use is largely inaccurate. 5. In 2019 I legally changed my name from Garrett Lynch to Garrett Lynch IRL. This second surname was adopted as a continuation of a series of performances since 2008 and is a word play incorporating IRL as both an abbreviation of Ireland, my nationality, and as the acronym In Real Life used in internet and gaming contexts. For a complete discussion of these performances see the article I'm Garrett Lynch (IRL) (Lynch IRL, 2021).
 
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Prompt Write an article based on the following text: "This article discusses four artworks by artist Garrett Lynch IRL that employ AI. These are The Traveller (2024) (Figs. 1 and 2), a four-channel video installation with artefacts; TheLastStraw (2021-23) (Fig. 3), a performative generative artwork for social media; I’m not Garrett Lynch IRL – DoppelGANger Portraits (2021) (Figs. 4 and 5), a series of Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) portraits and Flag for States of Damage (2018) (Figs. 6 and 7), a performative mixed-reality artwork for the web. Each artwork’s use of AI is distinct but forms part of a broader approach by the artist to research how networks are transformative to art practice. The works maintain a singular perspective on AI as a form of network that allows emergence. Not the emergence of intelligence as defined in the field of AI, but instead in the context of art theory a manner in which artworks are activated, expanded or extended beyond their author-defined forms. Instrumental in facilitating this is the use of language as a combined form of encoding and performative utterance (Austin, 2018). Building on a fundamental basis of computing that all digital media is reducible to language, code, and numbers, binary, as well as a basis of communication theory that language is a social construct, the works explore language as both form of representation and communication between human and machine. Language enables a process of folding (O’Sullivan, 2005) or flipping (Sloan, 2012) of concepts, media and artefacts between ‘virtual’ and ‘real’ spaces, between digital and materialised forms."
AI Response Exploring AI and Networked Art: The Artworks of Garrett Lynch IRL In the evolving landscape of contemporary art, the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and networked systems has become a critical area of exploration, pushing the boundaries of what art can be and how it is experienced. Among the artists pioneering this field, Garrett Lynch IRL stands out for his innovative use of AI as both a tool and a conceptual framework. Through his body of work, Lynch investigates how networks—comprising both human and machine elements—can transform the practice of art, facilitating new forms of emergence and interaction. This article examines four significant works by Lynch—The Traveller (2024), TheLastStraw (2021-23), I’m not Garrett Lynch IRL – DoppelGANger Portraits (2021), and Flag for States of Damage (2018)—each of which employs AI in unique ways to challenge and expand traditional artistic practices.
The Traveller (2024): A Four-Channel Video Installation with Artefacts The Traveller (2024) is a profound example of how Lynch integrates AI into narrative art. This four-channel video installation, accompanied by physical artefacts, presents a layered, immersive experience that invites viewers to engage with a story that is as much shaped by AI as it is by human interaction. The installation consists of multiple video streams that are dynamically influenced by an AI system, which processes input from the viewers and the environment, subtly altering the narrative in response. This interactive element transforms the audience from passive observers into active participants, where their engagement directly influences the unfolding story.
The AI in The Traveller serves not simply as a generative tool but as a narrative agent within a networked system. It plays a crucial role in the artwork's capacity for emergence—where new, unexpected narratives and meanings arise from the interaction between the AI, the human audience, and the physical space. This approach reflects Lynch’s broader artistic inquiry into how networks can activate and expand artworks beyond their original, author-defined forms. The AI here is not intended to exhibit intelligence in the traditional sense, but rather to facilitate a dynamic narrative space where the story is continuously evolving and responding to its context.
TheLastStraw (2021-23): A Performative Generative Artwork for Social Media With TheLastStraw (2021-23), Lynch ventures into the realm of social media, creating a performative artwork that unfolds within the algorithm-driven environment of these platforms. This work is particularly relevant in the context of today’s digital culture, where social media algorithms shape much of our online experience. Lynch’s use of AI in this piece highlights the performative potential of generative art within the constantly shifting landscape of social media.
TheLastStraw functions as a generative artwork that actively engages with social media algorithms to create and disseminate content. The AI system involved is designed to interact with the platform's dynamics—adapting to trends, responding to user interactions, and generating new content based on these inputs. Over time, the artwork evolves, reflecting the ephemeral and often unpredictable nature of social media itself.
This performative aspect of the work underscores Lynch’s exploration of AI as a networked entity that can both participate in and critique digital culture. By embedding the artwork within the social media ecosystem, Lynch invites audiences to consider the role of AI in shaping online narratives and identities. The artwork becomes a living entity, its form and content shaped by both the AI and the social media environment in which it exists.
I’m not Garrett Lynch IRL – DoppelGANger Portraits (2021): GAN Portraits as Artistic Commentary In I’m not Garrett Lynch IRL – DoppelGANger Portraits (2021), Lynch delves into the concept of identity and representation in the digital age, using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to create a series of portraits that challenge traditional notions of authenticity and selfhood. GANs, a class of AI algorithms capable of generating realistic images, are particularly well-suited to exploring these themes, as they inherently involve a process of imitation and creation.
The portraits in this series are not direct representations of Lynch or any other individual; rather, they are AI-generated images that resemble Lynch yet deviate in subtle, unsettling ways. These doppelgängers evoke a sense of the uncanny, a concept that has long been associated with digital representations. By creating these portraits, Lynch questions the idea of identity in a world where AI can generate convincing yet fundamentally artificial images.
This series also engages with the broader discourse on the role of AI in art. Traditionally, portraiture has been a deeply human endeavor, capturing not just the physical likeness but also the essence of the subject. Lynch’s GAN portraits subvert this tradition, presenting images that are devoid of true human presence yet eerily lifelike. This raises questions about the nature of creativity, authorship, and authenticity in an age where machines can replicate human-like processes. The work prompts viewers to reflect on what it means to create and be represented in a world increasingly mediated by AI.
Flag for States of Damage (2018): A Performative Mixed-Reality Artwork Flag for States of Damage (2018) extends Lynch’s exploration of AI and networks into the realm of mixed reality. In this work, Lynch employs AI to navigate the interplay between digital and physical spaces, creating a performative piece that exists simultaneously in both realms. The "flag" in the title serves as a metaphor for the fluid boundaries between these spaces, as well as the potential for damage—or transformation—that can occur when these boundaries are crossed or blurred.
This artwork is performative in nature, involving both real-time interaction with digital environments and the material presence of the flag itself in physical space. The AI component of the piece facilitates a process of "folding" or "flipping" between these realms—a concept borrowed from philosophical and artistic discourses that describe how ideas and forms can transition between different states. This process highlights Lynch’s interest in the concept of emergence, where the artwork is not fixed but continually evolving based on its interaction with both human participants and the digital environment.
Through Flag for States of Damage, Lynch invites viewers to consider the implications of living in a world where digital and physical realities are increasingly intertwined. The work explores the potential for AI to mediate this relationship, creating new forms of interaction and meaning that transcend traditional boundaries. It challenges the audience to think about the nature of reality in an era where the lines between the virtual and the real are increasingly blurred.
AI as Network and Language in Lynch's Art A unifying theme across Garrett Lynch IRL’s works is his innovative use of AI as both a conceptual framework and a practical tool within his art. Rather than viewing AI merely as a means to an end, Lynch integrates it into the very fabric of his artistic practice, treating it as a networked system that enables new forms of emergence. This approach is deeply rooted in art theory, particularly in the idea that networks—comprising both human and machine elements—can activate, expand, or extend artworks beyond their initial, author-defined forms.
Central to Lynch’s exploration of AI is the role of language. He draws on the fundamental principle that all digital media can be reduced to language, code, and binary. This idea is not just a technical observation but a theoretical lens through which Lynch examines the communicative potential between humans and machines. In his works, language functions both as a form of representation and as a medium for interaction. It enables a process of "folding" or "flipping" between different states—between virtual and real, digital and material. This process is crucial in facilitating the emergence of new forms and meanings within his artworks.
Lynch’s work also engages with communication theory, particularly the idea that language is a social construct. By extending this idea to the interaction between humans and AI, Lynch opens up new possibilities for understanding how machines can participate in and contribute to social and cultural discourses. His artworks suggest that AI is not just a tool for generating content but a participant in the creation of meaning—a networked entity that can engage in a dialogue with both its human creators and audiences.
Conclusion: Redefining Art in the Age of AI Garrett Lynch IRL’s body of work represents a significant contribution to the ongoing dialogue about the role of AI in contemporary art. By treating AI as a network that facilitates the emergence of new forms and meanings, Lynch challenges conventional boundaries and opens up new possibilities for the future of art. His works prompt us to reconsider the roles of the artist, the machine, and the audience in the creative process, suggesting that in the age of AI, these roles are increasingly interconnected and dynamic.
As AI continues to evolve and integrate into various aspects of life, its role in art will undoubtedly expand. Lynch’s work provides a compelling model for how artists can engage with AI not just as a tool, but as a collaborator and a medium in its own right. Through his exploration of AI and networks, Lynch invites us to imagine new ways of creating, experiencing, and understanding art in a world where the boundaries between human and machine, virtual and real, are constantly shifting.