Coral Dreams: Using AI-Generated Art for Conservation Efforts in Raja Ampat
Sustainability. Environment. Education.
Coral Dreams: Using AI-Generated Art for Conservation Efforts in Raja Ampat
Straddling the equator and sitting in the center of the Coral Triangle, the some 1,500 small islands, cays, and shoals that make up Raja Ampat (or Four Kings) serve as one of the most biodiverse locations in the world. In fact, this relatively small area, about 27,000 square miles of land and sea, contains the same number of coral and fish species as the entire Great Barrier reef! Relatively untouched by large human settlements and mass tourism, this diverse and rich ecosystem has avoided many of the plights that have affected the natural beauty of pristine reefs and habitats around the world.
It is for this reason that a fundraiser has been launched to raise money for Child Aid Papua (CAP) (Yayasan Cahaya Anak Papua), a local nonprofit that aims “to provide children living in the remote provinces of West Papua the opportunity to improve their knowledge of the world around them and to gain skills for lifelong learning.”
Despite Raja Ampat’s designation as one of the most pristine diving and ecotourism locations in the world, the region’s remote communities are often unable to participate in the tourism-oriented industries due to a lack of relevant education. As a result, poverty is widespread, access to healthcare and related facilities is low, and career development options are virtually nonexistent to most. The work of CAP aims to change this narrative for future generations by placing a focus on expanding educational opportunities that will empower youth and create pathways for conversation and the sustainable build-up of tourism throughout the islands.
As with many aspects of our current world, unique challenges require innovative solutions. Keeping in line with the theme of underwater biodiversity, this fundraiser has been developed as an opportunity to present surreal artwork of coral reefs and marine life. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this campaign is that the artwork for sale is not created by humans, but rather an artificial intelligence (AI) entity using various prompts given from a human artist named Stuart Ward. With hundreds of uniquely generated pieces of art, Mueo, Stuart’s studio and an Ancient Greek verb (μυέω) meaning: ‘to initiate into the mysteries,’ aims to inspire curiosity and exploration, all the while raising funds for an important mission to conserve and protect one of Earth’s most precious jewels.
Despite its dazzle and future applications, AI-generated art is not without its questions or controversy. Most recently the art world was abuzz when it became known that the winner of the Colorado State Fair’s fine arts competition used an AI tool, Midjourney, to generate the submitted image, beating out twenty other hand-crafted pieces. Some argue that this type of process is not art and should be shunned from the ever-expansive community. Stuart, who has spent countless hours crafting this methodology, would argue differently. “I equate this process to something like photography,” he says. “In the early days, other artists and critics suggested that photography wasn’t art at all!. Just point the lens and snap a picture. In the case of this [AI-generated] art, the artist guides the metaphorical camera to create images of their choosing. The processing takes time; several iterations of an image are created before an image I am happy with starts to emerge. Pages of notes of keywords and word order later, and I’ve created 500 works that I’m proud of, and another 700 that made it to an elimination round and nearly made the cut. The final polish of removing unwanted components and using a different AI to upsample and increase the resolution of the work is now underway.”
From the ever-changing coral that this art emulates to the adaptation happening throughout the many communities and villages that call Raja Ampat home, it is clear that the only constant in our world is innovation. It is what moves us along and allows us to deal with the many challenges, and opportunities, presented to us, and in the face of massive systemic transformations, will allow human kind to survive and flourish. It is our hope that organizations like Child Aid Papua can provide children and the communities they will one day grow up to lead with the tools, knowledge, and hope to adapt to the changing yet vibrant paradise around them.
A healthy and protected biosphere not just benefits the local community, but feeds into the wider ecosystems that touch us all. Conservation and protection starts at the local level. Through community-led efforts like the ‘sasi’ system of fishery management or establishing “no take” zones to ensure resources exist for future generations, we can safeguard against the environmental and economic exploitation of the region and foster greater commitment from local and international partners alike. We invite you to join us on our journey towards realizing a bright future for the people and nature that call this unique place home, and we hope you can heed our call to action to contribute to our goals of raising funds for an outstanding local organization working towards developing the education, conservation, and health care of West Papua.
About the artist
Stuart Ward is a world renowned, contemporary artist, helping bring one’s deepest imagination to life. His work reflects his deep respect for cultural history and a pragmatic approach to art. Stuart makes art that seeks to create moments of awe and compel people to deeply engage with the work. His explorations at the edge of the legitimized art world attempt to examine the role that business and marketing plays in shaping sponsored artwork versus private commissions, and ultimately, who the artist must gratify in order for their art to be considered successful. He recently worked on a fundraiser with the Paiter Surui and Cinta Larga tribes of Western Brazil to help protect and conserve tribal territory. After collaborating closely with the chief and other community members via Twitter and WhatsApp, Stuart and dozens of other CryptoArtists collaborated to create an exhibit that incorporated art, poetry, indigenous song, video, 3D, and exclusive artworks from tribe members. Visit the Mueo homepage to read more about him and his work.
About the Author
As part of the poverty eradication team at one of the world’s largest nonprofits (BRAC), Bobby Irven is passionate about leveraging communications to tell stories and make an impact. He has traveled around the world in his aim to give the most marginalized populations a voice, and is a fierce advocate for the underrepresented. Before returning to New York City, he lived in Thailand and Bangladesh, and traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia, working on a variety of issues, including human rights, environmental conversation, climate change, and resource politics. In addition to his work to help empower others to escape the so-called ‘poverty trap’, he is also a staunch environmentalist, and his passion for scuba diving is fueled by his quest to learn more about our undersea neighbors on this tiny blue marble we all call home. You can learn more about his work and background via his LinkedIn.
The first graduates of the Child Aid Papua program started their professional internships this fall. You can learn more about them in this video:
TL;DR
On November 1st, a surreal and unique collection of 480 Mueo original artworks will be released for sale on Opensea in increments of 120. Created with the help of MidJourney, the artwork offers magical glimpses into an imaginative oceanscape of coral reefs and marine life.
Collectors will not only own a unique artwork, they will also be contributing to education, sustainability, and environmental conservation via Child Aid Papua.
The digital files are high resolution (4k), suitable for printing or display on an art screen.
With the success of this project, we will be able to support the school’s operation for a year, and hope to work towards building a collaborative digital collectible project next year.
The artworks are available here:
https://opensea.io/collection/coraldreams
Timeline
September/October — Announcement and press campaign.
Early November — Existing collectors of Mueo’s artworks will be gifted artwork from this series.
November 4 — Public Sale begins
November/December — Funds donated to Child Aid Papua.
Team / Advisors
Kristel — TED
Bobby Irven — BRAC
Maya — School founder
Jonas — School founder
Kenshiro — NFT OG, advisor.
