Niklas Roy’s Vending Machine Installation Explores the Value Generative Art

What is the value of art? How much would you be willing to pay for a piece of art generated by a computer? As generative AI becomes increasingly commonplace, the entire world is wrestling with that question and an answer already seems to be emerging: art made through generative AI has almost no value. But the question becomes more complicated when we’re talking about art made by more bespoke generative algorithms. How much is that worth? Maybe a single euro? Niklas Roy’s unique vending machine installation will find an answer.

Like every project Roy completes, this is very much an exploration of how technology and art intersect. Roy didn’t create the art sold by this vending machine, but he did develop and implement the algorithms that generate the art. Is there really a difference? And, if there is, how does that affect the value of the art?

This vending machine, which will be at Belgium’s Zebrastraat until June 8th, 2025, generates abstract line art drawings based on the current time. A display in the vending machine shows the current art as it evolves from millisecond to millisecond, never to be repeated again. If a passerby finds themselves intrigued by the art shown, they can insert a euro coin into the machine. It will then use a pen plotter to reproduce those lines on paper, label it with the unique seed number, slap on a stamp of authenticity, and then spit the art out through a chute at the bottom.

The machine uses the unique seed number, derived from Unix time, as the base of the generative algorithm that produces the art. That runs on a laptop and an Arduino Mega interfaces with the vending machine’s hardware. The most important hardware is the pen plotter, which is an Aritma Colorgraf. The coin-op mechanism is an off-the-shelf model that tells the Arduino when to start a print.

Some of the mechanisms are custom. For example, the paper comes from a big roll and a custom cutter mechanism slices each piece of art off of that roll. And the authenticity mark is imprinted by a stamp actuated by a Bowden-style cable.

Roy’s creativity and execution are unquestionably great. We can only assume that this machine will end up with a hefty pile of euro coins at the end of each day. But are people paying for the art or the novel experience? Maybe it is impossible to separate the two and the value of art is inextricably linked to its story.