Co Art: An AI-Driven Interactive Art Space

Wan Xi, Shen Zuyu, Zhao Xu, Yang Zhi, and Tan Cong's Innovative Approach to Art Creation

Co Art was born out of the need to address the problem of imagination depletion faced by creative professionals in a fast-paced world. The designers sought to create a space where words could be converted into imaginative artwork, pushing the boundaries of artistic imagination.

The unique properties of Co Art lie in its interactive device, the Magic Light. Enabled by neural network algorithms, the Magic Light connects humans to the digital world. When a ring of light appears around the device, users can put their hand through it and speak. The device listens, understands, and turns the spoken words into a piece of imaginative artwork. This innovative approach to art creation provides visitors with an opportunity to swap roles with artists and delivers unusual experiences at exhibitions.

The realization of Co Art involved two processes. The first was the implementation of algorithms to produce an image from a latent model, measure its similarity with the text prompt, and update the latent vector to match the image with the text prompt. The second was the hardware part, which involved using Arduino mega 32 to connect the sensor and control panel.

Designed with a graceful and streamlined design language, the Magic Light conveys a sense of technology and affinity. Its dimensions are 1501*697* 420 mm, making it suitable for stand-using. The designers' aim was to encourage users to have a dialogue with the AI imagination engine to create artwork together, making Co Art a space for human-computer co-creation of art.

Co Art made its debut at the Beijing International Design Week in September 2021, where it received positive interactive feedback from the audience. The project was a challenge for the designers, who had to learn how to build the input and output modules for the device and ensure its steady running. However, their efforts paid off when Co Art was awarded Silver in A' Interface, Interaction and User Experience Design Award in 2022.

In conclusion, Co Art is a testament to the power of AI in pushing the boundaries of art and design. By enabling humans to co-create art with AI, it offers a unique, interactive way to create art and inspires people to explore the boundary of artistic imagination. The patent for this innovative design is currently being applied for in China.