Our ambition was to ‘teach’ a computer to paint like Rembrandt by using deep learning algorithms and face recognition software to gather data from the artist's body of work.

To bring this vision to life, we gathered over two years a team of specialists from all sorts of backgrounds, art historians, researchers, data scientists and engineers; plus advisors from TU Delft, The Mauritshuis and The Rembrandt House Museum and the technological support of Microsoft Netherlands.

Created out of 14 layers of 3d printed paint, and consisting of over 148 million pixels based on 168,263 fragments from all 346 of Rembrandt's paintings, the resulting work was presented in Amsterdam on the 5th May 2016.  

The painting instantly became a milestone in the history of arts, catching the attention of a broader audience of experts, press and public, and putting ING at the core of a global conversation about the future of technology and arts.

WHY I LIKE IT

I will always consider myself lucky for having been involved in two phases of this project that took 18 months in the making and took over every major award show.

As creative consultant at JWT Amsterdam I co-led the agency team in defining, exploring and presenting the various initial iterations of this idea. Later on the process, I also lent a hand in defining the processes and teams that would better suit each of these challenging explorations.

Needless to say all the merit goes to ECD Bas Korsten, Head of Technology Emmanuel Flores and the rest of the folks at JWT Amsterdam. The most stubborn, restless professionals I’ve ever worked with.

AWARDS

Cannes Lions - Cyber: Grand Prix, Silver Lion, 4 Shortlists
Cannes Lions - Creative Data: Grand Prix, 2 Silver Lions, Bronze Lion, Shortlist
Cannes Lions - Innovation: Innovation Lion
Cannes Lions - Outdoor: 2 Gold Lions
Cannes Lions - Digital Craft: Gold Lion, 2 Bronze Lions, Shortlist
Cannes Lions - Direct: Silver Lions, 2 Shortlists
Cannes Lions - Promo & Activation: Silver Lion
Cannes Lions - Design: Silver Lion
Cannes Lions - Entertainment: Bronze Lion, Shortlist
D&AD - Digital Marketing: Yellow Pencil, Wood Pencil
D&AD - Digital Design: Graphite Pencil
D&AD - Direct: Graphite Pencil
D&AD - Graphic Design: Wood Pencil
One Show - Cross Platform: Gold, Silver
One Show - Print&Outdoor: Gold, Silver
One Show - Interactive: Silver, Bronze
One Show - Direct: Bronze, Merit
One Show - Design: Merit
One Show - Branded Entertainment: Merit
Eurobest - Digital Craft: Grand Prix, Gold
Eurobest - Outdoor: Gold, Silver
Eurobest - Creative Data: Gold, Shortlist
Eurobest - Innovation: Gold
Eurobest - Media: Gold
Eurobest - Promo & Activation: Silver
Eurobest - Film: Shortlist
LIA - Digital: Grand LIA, 3 Golds
LIA - Design: Gold
LIA - The New: Gold, Silver
LIA - Non-Traditional: Bronze
Epica - Digital: Grand Prix, Gold
Epica - Creative Technology: Gold
Epica - Online Campaigns: Gold
Epica - Websites: Silver
Epica - Online & Viral Films: Bronze
Clio - Event/Experiential: Gold
Clio - Out of Home: Bronze
Clio - Events: Bronze
Clio - Film: Shortlist
Clio - Brand Development: Shortlist
Andy Award - Reset/Innovation: Gold
Andy Award - Branded Content: Bronze
FWA: Site of the Day
Awwwards: Site of the Day
WPPED Cream - Digital: Crème de la Crème (Grand Prix)
WPPED Cream - Data I.M.: Crème de la Crème (Grand Prix)
WPPED Cream - Outdoor: Winner
ADCN: Grand Prix
ADCN - Digital & Social: Gold
ADCN - Next: Gold
ADCN - Promo, Activation & Direct: Silver
ADCN - Design: Product - Bronze
ADCN - Design: Digital - Bronze
ADCN - Film: Nomination
ADCN - PR: Nomination
ADCN - Media: Nomination
ADCN - Branded Content & Entertainment: Nomination
ADCN - Integrated: Nomination
World Summit Award: Culture & Tourism - Winner
Luerzer's Archive: Issue 3/2016