Getty Museum acquires first AI-generated photograph by Costa Rican artist

The Getty Museum has acquired its first AI-generated photograph, Cristian en el Amor de Calle (2024), by Costa Rican photographer Matías Sauter Morera. The piece depicts two young Latino men and reflects the queer history of pegamachos, or cowboys. Morera used AI to protect the identities of his subjects, as the pegamachos culture is often hidden. He combined multiple AI models to create the work without needing to censor real individuals. The photograph will be featured in the solo exhibition “Pegamachos” and the group show “The Queer Lens: A History of Photography” at the Getty Museum in 2025.