German computer aficionado Artem Kuzmin has set out to show that, if used properly, artificial intelligence can be a fun and educational storytelling tool.
No matter where in the world, no city centre is complete without oversized monuments depicting long-dead royals and warriors, immortal artists, ingenious inventors, religious or worldly leaders, or even fairytale creatures. Now imagine these statues to come back to life – what stories would they still have to tell? If you are Artem Kuzmin, you have some pretty creative ideas, along with the technological know-how to animate them. If you are not him, his work is on the internet for all to enjoy.
“AI videos!” you say, rolling your eyes. But rest assured, this is not the typical slop of Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, dancing the kozachok or the newly-minted Sir David (Beckham) auditioning for the Chippendales. What Artem Kuzmin produces is a masterclass in grace, style, and respect. He reimagines scenes as a “what if?“, respecting cultural boundaries and always keeping a benevolent point of view.
Video via Artem Kuzmin YouTube channel
In Artem’s work, Goethe and Schiller, the two German literature giants, embrace. Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty is kissed awake by a handsome prince. And theological opponents Calvin and Luther step down from their pedestal and shake hands.
Artem’s choice of standing out with positivity and wit instead of gore expresses who he is. The 38-year-old resident of Kaiserslautern, Germany, originally hails from Voronezh, a city in Southwestern Russia. He came to Germany eight years ago to study and, equipped with his degree, started working as a research associate and video tech support at Kaiserslautern University. He enjoys what he does, and he feels well and happy in his chosen country – so much so that he recently acquired German citizenship. That in itself is telling. In order to successfully integrate into a society very different from the one you grew up in, you need to be able to see the positive and beautiful, be patient, pay attention to small details, and also master a new and difficult language. And all of this is reflected in Artem’s work.
When AI became popularized in 2023, the soft-spoken, technologically-minded young man with a creative streak took note and started experimenting with the rudimentary tools that were out there at the time. It began with animating holiday photos, and when he realized just how much people enjoyed watching those, the idea developed in his mind to also resurrect monuments. But he doesn’t limit his creations to historic figures alone. His magic wand can also, for example, make the players of a local soccer team, eternalized in statues, jump back into action and kick ball. Or have you ever wondered how the donkey, the dog, the cat, and the rooster of the legendary Four Town Musicians of Bremen got on their pedestal?
Video via Artem Kuzmin YouTube channel
And these videos went viral on social media. He was so successful that he soon was called upon by companies and the Rhineland-Palatinate state government to create some clips for them.
Most of his animations are Germany-centric (see clickable chart below) but when he travels on leisure or business, he also finds local statues that have stories to tell, like Zenobe Gramme, the inventor of the dynamo at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris:
Video via Artem Kuzmin YouTube channel
Today, Artem still works at the university, and thus far, these creations are only a side gig for him. But he is a thinker and he can see how such AI animations might integrate into marketing campaigns and other commercial applications. “Despite the hype, AI doesn’t have wide acceptance in these fields yet,” he says. He hopes that his videos can help change attitudes. “AI shouldn’t be used to replace skilled workers but to boost creativity and productivity.”
Making these videos is a labour of love, and a very time-consuming one at that. It takes between one and six hours of patient prompting, as well as the use of several AI tools, including Sora, Veo and Runway, to perfect one 15-second clip. “It’s not always smooth sailing. AI is still in its infancy. There is no video production AI that can do it all, they all have their strengths and weaknesses, so I need to do a lot of juggling and balancing,” Artem explains.
Photo courtesy Artem Kuzmin
But he loves what he is doing because he has identified his niche: bringing art and history back to life in a fun way that beyond entertainment makes people think. Thousands of comments on social media confirm that he is on the right path. “I only wish my grandfather could still have seen this,” was one of the comments he particularly cherished.
AI is often criticized as being a destructive, resource-gobbling tool that does not have any real practical application. But in the right hands, it can be transformative, whether it makes you laugh or think. And that is all that Artem Kuzmin wants to do.
To see all his current works, click on the locations in the map below to watch the video of the animated monument.
Follow Artem Kuzmin on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
ARTEM KUZMIN CURRENT WORKS
All photographs and videos courtesy Artem Kuzmin
Share article