YOU CAN DRAW BETTER THAN AI
Click on the image above to try out the experience for yourself
‘You Can Draw Better Than AI’ is an AR experience that questions what art means in a world of AI, and whether something can really be called ‘art’ without the human element.
Drawing is a simple, rudimentary art form, yet can feel very physical and primal. It is often the first visual art form a child learns… But what is drawing really?
I see the essence of drawing as a process through which to observe - a way to really be present in our physical world and take in the moment, while also being present within ourselves during this contemplative, meditative practice.
The drawn result is simply evidence of this process - it is not the main goal. It is evidence of thought and emotion - of a world observed from a perspective full of stories and unique life experiences.
This AR experience brings the essence of drawing into the virtual world - it allows the user to create their own artwork while observing the details in the world around them through a different lens. It uses technology to involve the audience through interaction rather than making them a passive viewer of an art form that revolves around the process.
The way technology is used here as a material is very different from an AI that is afforded creative agency. This art piece is a collaboration between you and me, where I created a framework based on my experiences, and to complete the artwork, you must use your own creativity and playfulness.
There are 16 ‘tiles’ floating over this 5th Plinth - their arrangement is random, and something you can shuffle further to your liking, or set to be ordered in the shape of a cuboid. The tiles are blank, waiting to be filled with forms and details you observe and capture. The ‘drawing’ you end up creating through the tiles is an accumulation of your observations - brought together in a way that mimics my own way of drawing.
While this is a digital experience, I urge you to walk around with it and allow it to augment your perception of reality, rather than envelop it. Let it connect you with the people and objects of the real world rather than pull you away from them.
You Can Draw Better than AI (2026), while on exhibit as part of Meadow's Fifth Plinth at The British Art Fair, Saatchi Gallery, London.
