Jon Carapiet discusses his work during a festival debate about AI within the photography world. Video / Carson Bluck
A public exhibition on display in Auckland’s CBD as part of the Auckland Festival of Photography was stolen overnight, leaving a photographer and festival organisers “deeply disappointed”.
Photographer Jon Carapiet says he was “in shock” after finding out his exhibition, dubbed Legacy, was stolen while on display at Auckland’s Silo Park.
The exhibition, which included 10 “large” photographs produced using AI technology, was nowhere to be found on Wednesday afternoon by the festival’s founder and CEO, Julia Durkin.
“I was minding my business this afternoon when I saw a call come through from Julia, which I thought was nice until she told me my photos had been stolen ... I asked if it was one or two that were stolen and then she advised me it was all 10,” Carapiet said.
Carapiet uses AI technology to reanimate current, well-known and powerful figures, creating a “new perspective on time, remembrance and the traditional role of photography as memento mori”.
“If someone had taken just one picture, it’d maybe be because they don’t like the person depicted, but to take all 10 ... it’s just mean,” said Carapiet.
All 10 prints in photographer Jon Carapiet's exhibition, Legacy, were stolen from the Silo 7 space overnight. Photo / Auckland Festival of Photography (AFP)
“If you hated one of the pictures, graffiti it or complain about it, don’t steal them all ... That’s a bit extreme.”
Carapiet said the alleged art thief was depriving the public of a chance to discuss AI.
“The worst part is that the photos are all free, they’re online ... the value is in the ideas,” he said.
Asked if he thought the pictures were stolen by someone who went to visit them earlier on, Carapiet said it was “unlikely to be a spontaneous decision”.
“They were stolen for apparently no good reason at all, and if you do have a reason, let’s talk about it.”
Photographer Jon Carapiet alongside three of his prints displayed at Silo 7. Photo / Auckland Festival of Photography (AFP)
Durkin told the Herald there is no on-site security monitoring the display, but a security team drives around the exhibitions hourly overnight.
“At the moment we are obtaining more information before going to police ... we understand there is security footage in the area which we are working to get,” Durkin said.
She was “disappointed and devastated” for Carapiet as well as the festival’s volunteers who had spent months organising the event.
She described the incident as a “random act”, which was a direct financial loss to the free-to-public festival.
Durkin said if the photographs were not returned, the festival would have to pay for them to be printed again out of its funds.
“We’d prefer them to be returned obviously, but we don’t want this incident to ruin the public’s experience at the festival.”
