AI Art Heist in Plain Sight A Troll Plants an AI Generated Print in Cardiff Museum and Hundreds Walk By Unaware
It was a perfect AI-mitation. Just in case artificial intelligence wasn’t encroaching upon enough human spaces of late. An art world troll sneakily displayed a piece of AI-generated art at a museum in the UK last month before bemused visitors alerted employees to the artificially intelligent design. The digital print had been surreptitiously showcased at the National Museum Cardiff in Wales by secretive artist Elias Marrow, who said the work was viewed by a “few hundred people” before its removal, the BBC reported. Rendered in the style of a historical oil painting, the machine-generated masterpiece depicted a young boy in a school uniform who was sitting down with a book under his arm and an empty plate on his lap. Marrow had reportedly sketched out the image before rendering it with AI and making prints. To complete the effect, Marrow hung a plaque beside the magnum fauxpos identifying it as “Empty Plate” by said author, along with listing the medium and lender, Artnet.com reported. It read, “digital print on paper, custom-made frame. Limited edition, signed. On loan from the Artist, 2025.” The guerrilla artwork was reportedly displayed in the museum’s contemporary art gallery for several hours before sharp-eyed visitors caught wise to the con and brought it to the attention of staff. One tourist from Ireland said they initially wondered “why such a poor quality AI piece was hanging there without being labelled as AI.” But when the guest approached the staff, they said “they had no idea about the piece or when it arrived.” “An item was placed without permission on a gallery wall,” a museum spokesperson said. “We were alerted to this and have removed the item in question.” Nonetheless, the undercover exhibition proved a triumph for Marrow, who said that guests responded well and even took photos. The provocateur, seemingly channeling fellow prankster and gold toilet mastermind Maurizio Cattelan, said the goal of the cybernetic knockoff was to illustrate “how public institutions decide what’s worth showing, and what happens when something outside that system appears within it.” Marrow said the use of AI in the artwork represented the “natural evolution of artistic tools,” declaring, “AI is here to stay; to gatekeep its capability would be against the beliefs I hold dear about art.” This isn’t Marrow’s first rodeo. What do you think? Post a comment. In July, the artist placed “unsanctioned” works at two UK museums, including a painted brick in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in London and a placard at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Despite not getting the green light for his displays, Marrow claims that his “work isn’t about disruption,” but “about participation without permission.”
Plaque and Display Details Empty Plate
To complete the effect, Marrow hung a plaque beside the magnum fauxpos identifying it as “Empty Plate” by said author, along with listing the medium and lender, Artnet.com reported. It read, “digital print on paper, custom-made frame. Limited edition, signed. On loan from the Artist, 2025.” Rendered in the style of a historical oil painting, the machine-generated masterpiece depicted a young boy in a school uniform who was sitting down with a book under his arm and an empty plate on his lap. Marrow had reportedly sketched out the image before rendering it with AI and making prints. The plaque served to label and frame the artwork within the museum space, though it was not created by the museum and its authenticity was part of the provocation. The magnum fauxpos phrase tag along with the identity line was reported by Artnet.com.
Reaction, Removal, and Marrow’s Philosophy
The guerrilla artwork was reportedly displayed in the museum’s contemporary art gallery for several hours before sharp-eyed visitors caught wise to the con and brought it to the attention of staff. One tourist from Ireland said they initially wondered “why such a poor quality AI piece was hanging there without being labelled as AI.” But when the guest approached the staff, they said “they had no idea about the piece or when it arrived.” “An item was placed without permission on a gallery wall,” a museum spokesperson said. “We were alerted to this and have removed the item in question.” Nonetheless, the undercover exhibition proved a triumph for Marrow, who said that guests responded well and even took photos. The provocateur, seemingly channeling fellow prankster and gold toilet mastermind Maurizio Cattelan, said the goal of the cybernetic knockoff was to illustrate “how public institutions decide what’s worth showing, and what happens when something outside that system appears within it.” Marrow said the use of AI in the artwork represented the “natural evolution of artistic tools,” declaring, “AI is here to stay; to gatekeep its capability would be against the beliefs I hold dear about art.” This isn’t Marrow’s first rodeo. In July, the artist placed “unsanctioned” works at two UK museums, including a painted brick in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in London and a placard at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Despite not getting the green light for his displays, Marrow claims that his “work isn’t about disruption,” but “about participation without permission.”
