Lampo Leong, distinguished professor at the Department of Arts and Design at the University of Macau is leading his students by example and enthusiastically embracing AI to create new levels of artistic expression
In the past, when people would talk about technology and Artificial Intelligence, they used to envision robots doing all the hard, boring tasks, leaving us all with more recreational time to enjoy our hobbies and explore our creative passions. However, as recent developments in AI have revealed, it seems like the robots are now the ones able to create art. With software like DALL-E 3, Midjourney, Imagen 2 and Microsoft’s Image Creator, just to name a few, it really feels like anything is possible, with powerful artistic tools at the fingertips of everyone.
Translation Erris Ho Photo Elói Scarva
Prof. Lampo Leong at the University of Macau acknowledges these concerns, but ultimately encourages his students of art, design, and visual communication to embrace the technology fully.
“Our philosophy is to introduce students to the most updated ideas and technology, and encourage them to be adaptive to whatever is new,” says Prof. Leong, the Director of the Centre for Arts and Design, University of Macau. “Students should take advantage of the technology to reach a different level of artistic creativity, and produce art and design works that have never been seen before. Everyone is going to use these new tools so if you don’t catch up you will get left behind.”
As impressive as the technology is, Prof. Leong still sees a need for human involvement in the process, and that requires training in art and design.
“During the process of generating this work, we have to give the AI different prompts on what we want it to do, how to change certain elements and how to make things look and feel a certain way. Without training in art, one won’t have the knowledge or even the terminologies to tell AI what you want it to do. Without artistic training, one can create images, but it doesn’t mean he or she can create art.”
His most recent work is an AI-generated video entitled Magical Creatures, created in collaboration with artist Li Lin and PhD student Yanxiu Zhao. Imagining various creatures in the microcosmic and macrocosmic worlds, the work features whimsical and endearing colourful “friends”, the result of the artists’ concepts and ideas, rich imagination, language expression, and the powerful creativity of multiple AI software.
“We started by generating the magical creatures in Adobe Firefly, then refining them through an ongoing update of instructions to the AI software. Next, we used Photoshop for colour adjustments and composition. We then created the animated video using Runway, followed by adding captivating visual effects in TouchDesigner. Finally, we adopted underwater sound effects using Adobe Audition, resulting in a complete AI-generated video art,” Prof. Leong explains.
It took the three artists over a month to create more than 50 characters, before settling on the final versions. The work was first shown in May at the ‘Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao Digital Design Exhibition’ at the Shenzhen Art Museum during the Shenzhen Design Week. It then made it’s Macau debut at the French May Art Festival.
Prof. Leong is an internationally acclaimed painter, calligrapher, photographer, digital artist and designer, who has won over 100 awards including a ‘Red Dot Award: Best of the Best’. His works have been selected for over 430 national or international juried or curated exhibitions and included in more than 10 museum collections internationally. He has worked on a number of AI works recently including the immersive Icy Fire, a digital ink generative video art installation presented at the 2003 ‘Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale’, and digital ink generative video art Icy Ink, Heavenly Inquiry and Inkniverse, which are collaborations with Yanxiu Zhao and have been featured at the Art Museum of China Academy of Art, Guangdong Museum of Art, and Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning.
“I begin by hand-painting ink paintings on rice-paper. Next, I convert these physical artworks into digital images using a high-resolution scanner. Finally, I use TouchDesigner to create dynamic movements, blending traditional techniques with digital and AI elements to achieve something beyond our previous capabilities.”
Leong’s digital ink video works have even served as backdrops for contemporary dance performances, collaborating with Tao Dance Theater, Gao Yanjinzi, and others, adding an additional layer of artistic expression.
The academic is very excited about what the future holds for artistic creation and is not scared of the technological advances.
“A century ago, with the advent of photography, many predicted that painting would fade away. However, today, people continue to create art through painting. Analog film has given way to digital photography and tools like Photoshop, elevating photography to new heights. While we communicate via text and email nowadays, receiving a handwritten letter remains a cherished experience. Some individuals will always express their creativity through hand-painted works, which only grow in value,” he says.
“I believe the primary concern lies in the potential scenario where AI surpasses human capabilities and gains control over the world. While AI has made significant advancements, it still relies on our guidance. When it comes to artistic creation, however, I see no issue. It enhances our creativity and takes us to new levels without posing a threat to the world.”
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Embracing the Revolution
Believe it or not, we are probably living through one of the most significant technological revolutions in the history of humanity, yet many of us are not even really aware that it’s happening. The true power and potential of Artificial Intelligence is all at once spectacularly impressive and terrifyingly ominous, and the rapid pace of development renders any accurate predictions about the future almost impossible. But one thing is certain, things are changing fast; for better or for worse, only time will tell.
