I. THE NARRATIVE
Each BRUTALISSANCE narrative begins with a plot written by the artist. The characters, their circumstances, the central conflict and the events that shape their lives are established by the artist.
AI is used to develop scenes, explore narrative approaches and transform the initial plot into a continuous story.
The writing rarely progresses in a straight line. Passages are rewritten, events rearranged, details introduced and entire sections discarded. Throughout this process, the artist repeatedly returns to the original outline, reinforcing its key elements whenever the developing text begins to drift from the intended direction.
A recurring part of the process is the deliberate request for harsh, uncompromising criticism. The artist asks AI to identify weak motivations, inconsistencies, predictable developments, unnecessary passages and moments where the story fails to be convincing.
These assessments are questioned rather than automatically accepted. Some lead to minor changes in wording; others require substantial revisions to the narrative structure or character development.
Writing, criticism and revision continue through numerous iterations. The artist determines which ideas remain, which are rejected and when the narrative reaches its final form.
II. THE IMAGE
Each portrait is developed from the fictional character established in the narrative.
The artist defines the individual’s physical characteristics, including age, facial structure, expression and distinguishing features.
Artificial intelligence is used to generate initial visual studies. Previous portraits and murals created by the artist are supplied as visual references to guide the generation towards the artist’s established painting style.
The generated images are subsequently edited using digital graphics software, typically with a tablet, stylus and sketching application.
The artist draws and paints over selected areas, adjusts facial features, modifies proportions and introduces additional textures. These interventions are used to progressively establish the composition and visual characteristics of the portrait.
IMAGE-TO-STATUE TRANSITION
The edited portraits are used as references for AI-assisted generation of two-dimensional images resembling sculptural busts.
The process translates facial features, proportions and expressions into simulated sculptural forms, introducing the appearance of volume, depth and physical material.
These images are not actual three-dimensional models. They are two-dimensional representations designed to resemble statues.
The resulting studies are evaluated and modified through further image generation and digital editing. Facial proportions, lighting, surface characteristics and sculptural details are adjusted until a suitable reference for the final portrait is established.
FINAL IMAGE DEVELOPMENT
The sculptural studies are further developed through digital painting, compositing and selective AI-assisted image generation.
Particular attention is given to reducing excessive sculptural depth and overly smooth, computer-generated surfaces.
Small, repetitive textures are selectively replaced with larger, matte areas resembling plaster and painted surfaces. Dry brush marks, irregular material transitions and fragmented textures are introduced or refined.
Facial features remain anatomically recognisable, while lighting transitions and surface details are adjusted to reduce an overly polished or artificial appearance.
Hair is developed through broader, painterly strokes rather than individually rendered strands. The face, neck and upper body are adjusted to maintain a consistent treatment of material and texture.
The artist repeatedly reviews the composition, correcting unwanted details and making further manual adjustments.
The final image is selected and completed through this combination of AI-assisted generation, digital painting and graphic editing.
III. THE MANIFESTATIONS
The completed digital portrait serves as the starting material for different forms of physical or spatial presentation.
Each manifestation requires its own preparation and execution.
MURAL
The transition from digital portrait to mural begins with a separate sketch developed specifically for the selected wall.
Using Adobe Photoshop, the artist reworks the original composition, adjusting proportions, details and individual elements to accommodate the dimensions and architectural features of the surface.
Details that function at a smaller scale may be simplified, restructured or emphasised for the mural.
The sketch serves as a painting reference rather than a fixed template.
The mural is executed entirely by hand. Facial features, tonal transitions, textures and surface details are reconstructed directly on the wall through brushwork, layering and manual painting.
During execution, the artist continues to evaluate and modify the composition. Elements may be added, altered or omitted in response to the scale, material and conditions of the surface.
Each mural therefore involves two distinct stages: the digital development of a site-specific sketch and its independent execution as a hand-painted work.
PASTE-UP
The digital portrait is converted into grayscale and divided into individual sheets for large-format printing. Laser printing is the preferred method.
During installation, the printed sections are deliberately assembled without perfect alignment. Overlapping edges, slight shifts and visible transitions between sheets remain part of the composition.
As the paper is applied to the wall, the artist begins tearing away selected areas by hand. Sections along the edges are removed intuitively, creating irregular boundaries and interrupting parts of the original image.
Once the paste-up has been attached, the artist continues working directly on its surface using emulsion paint, acrylic paint or spray paint.
Additional hair strands may be painted onto the portrait, existing features altered and selected areas covered with new layers of paint.
Paint is also applied in ways that allow it to drip and run down the surface. The direction, length and shape of these marks are not entirely controlled.
The extent of tearing, misalignment, overpainting and dripping is determined during each installation.
These interventions deliberately introduce a loss of precision between the digital portrait and its physical appearance. Printed details may disappear beneath torn paper or paint, while new elements emerge directly on the wall.
The final composition is established during installation rather than reproduced exactly from a predetermined digital layout.
PROJECTION
The digital portrait is prepared in advance and projected onto an architectural surface using a digital projector.
The artist selects a suitable location and adjusts the projector’s position, image size, focus and alignment according to the dimensions and characteristics of the surface.
The image remains unchanged throughout the projection. No live manipulation or additional visual effects are involved.
The duration is approximately equivalent to the time required to read the fictional narrative associated with the portrait. The length of the story therefore determines how long the projection remains visible.
This method also allows portraits to appear temporarily on architectural surfaces that would be difficult or particularly sensitive to alter physically.
No paint, adhesive or direct contact with the wall is required.
Once the designated time has elapsed, the projector is switched off and the image disappears.
IV. THE DOCUMENTATION
The physical manifestations of BRUTALISSANCE are photographed in their environments.
Documentation generally includes views of the complete work and its architectural surroundings, alongside closer images recording surface details, materials and individual interventions.
For murals, photographs record the relationship between the painting and the wall, including scale, composition and visible brushwork.
For paste-ups, particular attention is given to paper overlaps, torn edges, painted additions, dripping paint and the interaction between the installation and the existing surface.
Where possible, subsequent photographs may document changes caused by weather, deterioration or human interference.
PROJECTION PHOTOGRAPHY
Projections present additional photographic challenges because they take place in low-light conditions and remain visible for only a limited period.
The camera must capture the illuminated portrait while also recording the considerably darker surrounding architecture.
These differences in brightness can exceed what a single photographic exposure reproduces accurately.
The photographs are therefore post-processed using Adobe Lightroom.
Adjustments to exposure, contrast, colour balance, tonal range and sharpness are used to compensate for limitations introduced during photographic capture.
The objective is to produce a record that closely resembles the observed projection, rather than simply preserving the camera’s unprocessed interpretation of the scene.
Post-processing is limited to photographic corrections intended to reproduce the observed lighting, colours and architectural surroundings as faithfully as possible.
DOCUMENTARY RECORD
The final photographs are selected and prepared for inclusion in the BRUTALISSANCE archive.
The documentation distinguishes between the original digital portrait, its physical or spatial manifestation and the photographic record of that manifestation.
Photographs preserve evidence of the installation, including details that may change or disappear over time.
V. THE ARCHIVE
The BRUTALISSANCE website serves as the central archive for the project.
Each work has a dedicated archive page containing its original portrait, fictional narrative and a gallery documenting its different manifestations. Where available, individual photographs provide additional views of the installation, its material details and its surrounding environment.
Each work is organised around its original fictional narrative and digitally developed portrait, together with available photographic documentation of its manifestations.
Murals, paste-ups and projections are documented as separate appearances of the same work, allowing visitors to examine how the portrait has been adapted and executed in different environments.
The archive maintains the connection between these elements without treating one manifestation as a replacement for another.
This structure is particularly important for temporary installations. Paste-ups may deteriorate or be removed, murals may be altered or painted over, and projections disappear when the light is switched off.
The photographic records remain accessible even when the physical manifestation no longer exists.
The archive does not reconstruct these lost encounters. It preserves their documented existence alongside the original portrait and narrative.
As new works and manifestations are produced, their documentation is added to the corresponding entries, allowing the archive to develop alongside the project.
If knowing how it was made changes what you see, ask yourself what you were looking at before.