autoportrait

Portrait drawings from the hand of a robot
2002

autoportrait (2002)

A robot portrays people in the museum. With a pen in its hand, it offers its unusual service. There is a drawing board in front of it and a stool for the model.

As soon as a visitor takes a seat, the robot begins its work. The machine artist captures the face with a camera and creates a drawn image of the person with skillful hand movements.

The result is individual and unpredictable. The robot's manual skills and its ability to recognize the characteristic features of a human face shape its own typical drawing style.

After the drawing process, the robot wipes out its drawing with its own hands. Indifferently, the machine leaves no memory of the person who sat opposite it and now witnesses the erasing process of its own image.

In “autoportrait”, machine and visitor stand in the relationship between portraitist and model, artist and client. The creative act originates with the machine, but its depictive function is itself a reflection of human creativity.

“autoportrait” 2007 at Mücsarnok Kunsthalle Budapest (HU).
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The drawings are generated algorithmically: six examples from over 26,000 portraits drawn since 2002.
autoportrait (2002)
“autoportrait” 2003 at Ford production plant Saarlouis (DE).
autoportrait (2002)
“autoportrait” 2002 at World Heritage Völklinger Hütte (DE).
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autoportrait (2002)
Portrait session 2005 at Museum Marta Herford (DE).
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autoportrait (2002)
Portrait performance with Peter Weibel on 17/10/2002 at ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe (DE).
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The Minister President of Baden-Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann with Peter Weibel in 2015 at the BW State Representation in Berlin (DE).
autoportrait (2002)
Portrait works.
autoportrait (2002)
autoportrait (2002)
“autoportrait” 2007 at Mücsarnok Kunsthalle Budapest (HU).
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