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Spongenuity Portrait Lab

July 1, 2022London, UK

Interactive portrait-drawing installation using AxiDraw and real-time processing scripts.

AIGenerative ArtInteractive InstallationsDrawing Machines

Overview

Spongenuity Portrait Lab was a one-month interactive installation held at Bright Moments gallery in London during the summer of 2022. Visitors had their portraits drawn in real-time using an AxiDraw plotter, creating a seamless and immersive art experience.

Portrait Example

Experience

The installation was designed to leave visitors in awe from start to finish. The process was carefully crafted to be both engaging and magical:

1. Photo Capture – Visitors sat down for a portrait session, where a photo was taken using a camera..

2. Real-Time Processing – The photo was instantly fed into a laptop running a custom Processing script, converting the image into a _one-line drawing_.

3. Remote Plotting System – The drawing data was sent via SSH to a Raspberry Pi in another room, controlling the AxiDraw plotter.

4. Interactive Button Trigger – The Raspberry Pi was connected to a button with a red LED, which lit up when a new drawing was ready. Visitors entered the secondary room, pressed the button, and watched as the plotter brought their portrait to life.

Results

  • •The installation was a highlight of Bright Moments London, receiving overwhelmingly positive reactions.
  • •Visitors described the experience as both surprising and magical.
  • •The system ran seamlessly, creating a highly engaging and interactive art moment.
System Setup