the big picture

Drawings of Martina landscapes
2014

the big picture (2014)

The central element in “the big picture”is a creative process that exceeds human possibilities. In a continuous working process lasting months, the robot artist produces a large-format drawing consisting of a single, uninterrupted line. With his inimitable technique, he creates a unique work of art of unrivaled detail and precision.

the big picture (2014) Art in the traditional sense focuses on the perception of the world, of nature, of the human body or of art itself, as the respective object is seen from the perspective of the human eye. The robot in “the big picture” refers to this type of art by taking on the role of a landscape artist, but in this case the motif of the picture has never been seen by a human eye, but has only been captured by technical means. In that the robot's perception, like that of machines in general, refers to any form of digital data, the robot goes beyond the visual world into a world of data that is usually translated visually for humans, for example in the form of false color images, and thus becomes perceptible.

The robot artist takes the image data and transforms it into a single, uninterrupted path using algorithmic operations. By moving hundreds of kilometers across the drawing surface, the line gradually forms a complex structure on the large-format image surface. In order to reach all parts of the screen, the robot can move the drawing surface back and forth.

The robot's movements are determined by its inherent logic, which consists of its specific components such as physical geometry, dynamics, control system and software. These components characterize its own pictorial method and give it an individual and characteristic drawing style.

Collaboration software development: Nikolaus Völzow

“the big picture” 2014 in Paris.
the big picture (2014)
The original image of the drawing derives from the Mast Camera instrument on NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover. The first drawing, completed on 09/01/2015 as part of the Art Robotiques exhibition at the Cité des Sciences Paris was taken during the mission's 526nd Martian day (or sol) on January 28, 2014.
the big picture (2016)
The second drawing, completed on 11/04/2016 in ZKM Karlsruhe was taken on early Martian afternoon of the mission's 528nd Martian day (or sol) on January 30, 2014.
the big picture (2017)
The third drawing, completed on 04/09/2017 at Woodstreetgaleries in Pittsburgh was taken on the mission's 592nd Martian day (or sol) on April 10, 2015.
the big picture (2018)
The fourth drawing, completed on 17/09/2018 at Azkuna Zentroa Bilbao on early Martian afternoon of the mission's 1429nd Martian day (or sol) on August 13, 2016.
the big picture (2019)
Die fifth drawing, completed on 14/05/2019 at the National Taiwan Museum of Modern Art was taken on the mission's 952nd and 953nd Martian day (or sol) on April 10 and 11, 2015.