Carrara marble: Can a sculpture created by an AI robot be considered as art ?
In Italy's Carrara marble quarries, a centuries-old craft is being transformed by artificial intelligence. Robots can now carve complex sculptures from blocks of stone, raising a fundamental question: if a machine does the carving, where does the art begin and the craft end?
Robotic arms are being used to carve intricate sculptures from marble blocks, guided by software that translates digital designs into precise instructions for these machines. Italian firms LITIX and ROBOTOR are developing this technology, claiming it could make marble sculpture more accessible. According to Giacomo Massari, CEO of both companies, the aim is to enable users to create artworks from their ideas, even if they lack the skills to do so.
The process begins with converting a digital image into a 3D file, after which software generates the tool paths for the robot. The machine handles most of the carving, with skilled workers refining the sculpture. Massari acknowledges that this evolution of carving jobs could make the work of traditional sculptors safer and less physically demanding. The company argues that robots could take up to 99% of the carving, allowing artisans to focus on the final details.
However, the debate extends beyond job security. As machines translate digital ideas into physical objects, artists must reconsider what constitutes the creative act. Davide Quayola, an Italian artist who uses algorithms and robotic machines in his work, sees the robot as an extension of his artistic gesture, not an independent creator.
Quayola programs the machine's movements, making it part of the process through which the artwork is created. He emphasizes that while the robot performs the physical work, the artist decides how it operates and what the finished piece will be.
Carrara, renowned for traditional craftsmanship and its white marble, is now shaping sculptures using technology once considered unimaginable. The change does not imply the end of traditional craftsmanship. Instead, Massari believes the sculptor's role may shift towards designing, programming, and refining the final work as robots handle more of the physical process. The question remains: where does the machine's work end and the artist's work begin?
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