Bot-I-Celli
Human-Computer Interaction / Installation
Bot-I-Celli is an interactive installation exploring creativity in the age of artificial intelligence.
Replacing the traditional street caricature artist with a machine, the project combines facial recognition and robotic drawing to generate unexpected, algorithmic portraits.
Can artificial intelligence be creative? And what might art look like if machines take over traditionally human roles?
Bot-I-Celli explores these questions through a playful interactive installation. Inspired by street caricature artists, the project replaces the human illustrator with a machine.
Using facial recognition via OpenCV, the system identifies the subject and generates a stylized caricature drawn by an AxiDraw robot arm. Rather than aiming for realism, the machine assembles unexpected facial compositions from a global drawing dataset, creating portraits that feel both algorithmic and surprisingly expressive.
Bot-I-Celli was exhibited at the Museum für Kommunikation in Berlin and at Ars Electronica.
Presented within the context of art and technology, the project invited audiences to engage directly with an AI-driven drawing machine, highlighting contemporary questions around authorship, automation, and creativity.
Presenting a glimpse into the creative prowess of Bot-I-Celli, here are some distinctive portraits crafted by the machine. Each artwork stands as a unique reflection of the portrayed individual, showcasing the ability to surprise and captivate with its autonomous and varied caricatures.
