Bluesky / Reddit / Futurism
Earlier this week, locals in Kingston upon Thames, a small borough south-west of London, were perturbed by “scenes of Lovecraftian horror” in the form of two enormous murals that appear to have been sloppily generated by AI to celebrate the holiday season.
The murals showed horrifyingly disfigured people, animals and even a demented snowman, harkening back to a not-so-distant past when AI image generators struggled to generate pictures of hands with five fingers.
Some joked the murals were put up to “celebrate the return of our dark lord Cthulhu,” while others questioned how such “carnage” was approved in the first place.
The dubious artwork appears to have proven controversial enough for the affected buildings’ owners to tear it down, as local journalism outlet London Centric reports — though not for the obvious reason that one would assume.
A “well-placed source” told the publication that the art was created by artist Mat Collishaw, who is known for using AI to create well-reviewed art. But while Collishaw has yet to publicly assume responsibility, London Centric reported that the artwork wasn’t being taken down because it was lazy or nightmare-inducing. instead, onlookers reportedly took issue with the AI slop’s purported political message.
One of the murals depicts a crowd of people splashing through ankle-length water, possibly invoking scenes of migrants crossing the English Channel, a point of major political contention in the UK.
The adorned building’s owners told London Centric that “nobody knows” what made the murals political, insisting that they depict a Christmas scene inspired by 16th-century Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. (Blatantly ripping off one of the most significant Renaissance painters in history doesn’t necessarily sit better, it’s worth noting.)
The depictions launched a heated discussion, with some reportedly claiming that it was mocking migrants, while others believed it was an attempt to humanize those who risk their lives by attempting to cross the channel on boats.
The bizarre incident suggests people have become so sensitive to political football subjects like immigration in the UK that they’re seemingly willing to look past a demented snowman and Cthulhu-invoking demons — a sad state of affairs as xenophobia and racism continue to rise in the island nation.
More on the mural: Town’s Huge Christmas Mural Was Generated Using AI, Resulting in Ghastly Chthonic Horrors
