Brooklyn artist Nim Ben-Reuven has opened an unusual art installation, Chat Haus. This ambitious new coworking shared space is not for your average human freelancers but rather expressly for AI chatbots. Take a look at this awesome installation, built out of 100% recycled cardboard! It’s now on view in the front window of 121 Norman Avenue in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood. The exhibit explores the artist’s feelings about the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence in the creative space. It brings a fun, comedic energy to the topic, provoking thoughts and laughter equally.
Chat Haus is memorable not just for its unusual subject matter, but for its distinctive materials. Curved design elements replicate a classic coworking office, instilling a friendly vibe. The exhibit features scenes of AI chatbots engaging in typical office activities, such as working on computers and taking phone calls. As the installation nameplate brightly proclaims, it is “a luxury co-working space for chatbots.” There’s an opportunity to reserve desk space for a memorable monthly rate of $1,999.
Nim Ben-Reuven developed Chat Haus as a self-aware, homemade alternative to the changing paradigm of Chat Haus becoming a breezy touring festival. He shared his wish to deal with what’s happening in the industry through humor. He referred to it as an act of frustration disguised as a comedy show. This philosophy kept him from becoming bitter as the industry swiftly passed him by, and he was loath to become one of the people driving that change.
The artist, who has always incorporated cardboard into his work, has spent the last decade creating cardboard robots, affectionately dubbed “cardboard babies.” His past life as a graphic designer and videographer influences his artistic practice. He describes Chat Haus as an embodiment of his evolving relationship with technology.
The installation poignantly speaks to the broader implications of the encroachment of AI on our creative endeavors. It sparks a significant conversation about the impermanence of the materials employed. Ben-Reuven said the cardboard’s impermanence and its tendency to fall apart under even the lightest pressure evokes for him AI’s impact on the creative fields. He recognizes a parallel between the fragility of cardboard and the precarious state of AI’s impact on creativity. This metaphor beautifully illuminates the fragility of artistic expression in an age increasingly filled with artificial intelligence.
At the moment, Chat Haus is waiting on renovation permits for the building it’s moving into. Ben-Reuven would like to have the exhibit run to at least mid-May. He would like to eventually get it placed into a larger gallery space. His vision for the piece, though, speaks to a much greater commentary that we need to have around AI’s role in changing creative industries.
Ben-Reuven’s concerns about AI are about more than just annoyance. As a musician, he noted that AI seems a little less threatening when it comes to the creative field. He compared that with the grave issues of war, terror, and trauma impacting our world. This view offers a glimpse into his understanding of greater cultural and societal norms as he worked through his own artistic struggles.
To identify with these overworked assistants, we wanted to make chatbots feel like these adorable but creepy characters furiously typing in their cardboard office. This recent decision only serves to underscore the ridiculousness of this situation. He thought it would be funny though to picture these super cute but kind of spooky little baby robots clattering on their keyboards in some creepy warehouse. Or that they were working around the clock in response to our ChatGPT prompts while using as much power as all of Switzerland uses in a year!
Chat Haus is already making waves in Brooklyn’s art scene. It is a shining example of what happens when we combine humor with brilliant eyes on the new technology that is moving so quickly around us. The installation invites viewers to reflect on their own perceptions of AI and creativity while engaging with Ben-Reuven’s playful yet poignant narrative.
