FACE VALUE

"Face Value" is an immersive experience where audience members unexpectedly become part of a fantasy gameshow, as an AI-powered robotic artist selects and transforms their images in real time. The experience highlights themes of technology and control, prompting participants to wonder what ultimately happens to their digital selves. 

 

The installation combines novel technologies, including artificial intelligence and robotics, to create a constantly evolving spectacle. A CCTV-style network of cameras captures images of the crowd, from which pictures of current audience members are selected at random. This ensures that every cycle of the installation is entirely unique. These images are handed over to a robotic artist, which transforms them in real time, accompanied by AI-generated speech and visuals and a bespoke soundtrack. The shifting, reimagined portraits are projected across three towering screens, surrounding viewers with a kaleidoscope of movement and sound. 

 

The work invites reflection on how emerging technologies interact with our digital identities and shape our control over our own image. By presenting these tools as both enchanting and unsettling, Face Value provides a spectacle whilst also encouraging curiosity about their deeper, more complex implications.

 


Commission by Culture Liverpool for River of Light festival 2025. 
With additional support from University of Liverpool AI for Chemistry Hub (AIchemy) &
Leverhulme Research Centre for Functional Materials Design

images : Culture Liverpool

Music: Andrew PM Hunt
Puppetry: Tony Baldwin
Software: Emma Brass
Hardware / Lighting / Production / Concept Art : Kromavision