Art, Crime & Algorithms

Art, Crime & Algorithms

Art, Crime & Algorithms

2.5D printing can be defined as low-relief textured printing delivered on flat surfaces with stable high resolution colour. It sits between 2D and 3D printing, hence its name. The technology is currently being used in a fixed size format for a limited number of applications, such as for the production of educational materials for visually impaired people and the creation of textured surfaces for the prototyping industry. These limitations are mainly due to the fact that the technology cannot print accurate replicated textures derived from high-resolution scanned data with the same degree of resolution. Were this possible, it could potentially open a whole range of applications to meet the demands of more rigorous and scientific industries as well as opening the doors to its misuse in certain areas such as fraudulent fine art ‘originals’.

How can the new 2.5D printing technology be used in combination with other technologies such as image in-painting algorithms, to imagine new and future scenarios, in relation to conservation, museology and fraud?

If 2.5D printing technologies could print in extremely high resolution and be commercially available at low cost, what scenarios could be imagined?

Research groups such as that at Casio are currently exploring how to overcome the resolution mismatch between scanning and printing and increase the resolution of the textures provided by 2.5D printing. These explorations result in design proposals that are initially confined to the regulated environments of the organisations. As they develop and design further, the move from these controlled environments to more complex and diverse iterations from the public will begin and new problems will arise.
This project seeks to explore what applications could arise from these developments in plausible futures. It indicates at the same time, the kind of technologies that might allow an increase of the required print resolution, and the diverse scenarios that might arise from these developments.

If in the future, 2.5D printing technologies were available to the public with sufficient resolution and able to use any pigment or ink, we could potentially see art forgeries being produced by these efficient image inpainting algorithms. Conversely such algorithms could also be trained to identify art forgeries, by analyzing the same patterns that were used to create the art forgery itself. These complex virtuous and vicious cycles are very much part of any design and technology, and this is what this project has explored.

With this in mind, three speculative machines were designed for this project: Type A, B and C (see descriptions below) and A film titled ‘Art, Crime & Algorithms’. The film features Type A and B contextualised in a possible future scenario based on what was said in the previous paragraphs.

Type A
A microscopic 2.5D colour scanning head developed for CEC Micro®. Its microscopic holography technology allows it to capture each fine detail of most opaque 2.5D surfaces. It can be detached and replaced with other head types from the CEC® 2.5D Printing Series. This allows for the combination of scanning and 2.5D printing functionalities in just one machine. Its smart capabilities allow it to analyse the surface being scanned and identify the material it is made of - both its microscopic structure and mechanical properties.

Type B
A 2.5D colour micro-printing head developed for CEC Micro®. It can be detached and replaced with other head types from the CEC® 2.5D Printing Series. This allows for the combination of microscanning and 2.5D printing functionalities in just one machine. Type B can microprint surfaces of up to 2 cm and recreate the internal structures of various materials within hours! This results in realistic and stable textured surfaces, which replicate the inherent structure and properties of the desired texture.

Type C
A 3D colour micro-scanning and 2.5D colour printing head all in one, developed for CEC Micro®.The scanner has a tiny robot built-in within the head that is released on the surface being scanned. Like a bug, it can access tight spots and travel in any direction (even upside down!) thanks to tiny velcro-like hairs on the soles of its robotic feet. It can micro-scan transparent and shiny objects with high structural and colour accuracy.
The printer is able to 2.5D print microscopic structures of materials on flat surfaces or 3D objects. This results in realistic and stable textured surfaces, which replicate the inherent structure and properties of the desired texture. This cutting-edge technology allows for the creation of exact microscopic reproductions of any organic or inorganic materials.

2.5D printing can be defined as low-relief textured printing delivered on flat surfaces with stable high resolution colour. It sits between 2D and 3D printing, hence its name. The technology is currently being used in a fixed size format for a limited number of applications, such as for the production of educational materials for visually impaired people and the creation of textured surfaces for the prototyping industry. These limitations are mainly due to the fact that the technology cannot print accurate replicated textures derived from high-resolution scanned data with the same degree of resolution. Were this possible, it could potentially open a whole range of applications to meet the demands of more rigorous and scientific industries as well as opening the doors to its misuse in certain areas such as fraudulent fine art ‘originals’.

How can the new 2.5D printing technology be used in combination with other technologies such as image in-painting algorithms, to imagine new and future scenarios, in relation to conservation, museology and fraud?

If 2.5D printing technologies could print in extremely high resolution and be commercially available at low cost, what scenarios could be imagined?

Research groups such as that at Casio are currently exploring how to overcome the resolution mismatch between scanning and printing and increase the resolution of the textures provided by 2.5D printing. These explorations result in design proposals that are initially confined to the regulated environments of the organisations. As they develop and design further, the move from these controlled environments to more complex and diverse iterations from the public will begin and new problems will arise.
This project seeks to explore what applications could arise from these developments in plausible futures. It indicates at the same time, the kind of technologies that might allow an increase of the required print resolution, and the diverse scenarios that might arise from these developments.

If in the future, 2.5D printing technologies were available to the public with sufficient resolution and able to use any pigment or ink, we could potentially see art forgeries being produced by these efficient image inpainting algorithms. Conversely such algorithms could also be trained to identify art forgeries, by analyzing the same patterns that were used to create the art forgery itself. These complex virtuous and vicious cycles are very much part of any design and technology, and this is what this project has explored.

With this in mind, three speculative machines were designed for this project: Type A, B and C (see descriptions below) and A film titled ‘Art, Crime & Algorithms’. The film features Type A and B contextualised in a possible future scenario based on what was said in the previous paragraphs.

Type A
A microscopic 2.5D colour scanning head developed for CEC Micro®. Its microscopic holography technology allows it to capture each fine detail of most opaque 2.5D surfaces. It can be detached and replaced with other head types from the CEC® 2.5D Printing Series. This allows for the combination of scanning and 2.5D printing functionalities in just one machine. Its smart capabilities allow it to analyse the surface being scanned and identify the material it is made of - both its microscopic structure and mechanical properties.

Type B
A 2.5D colour micro-printing head developed for CEC Micro®. It can be detached and replaced with other head types from the CEC® 2.5D Printing Series. This allows for the combination of microscanning and 2.5D printing functionalities in just one machine. Type B can microprint surfaces of up to 2 cm and recreate the internal structures of various materials within hours! This results in realistic and stable textured surfaces, which replicate the inherent structure and properties of the desired texture.

Type C
A 3D colour micro-scanning and 2.5D colour printing head all in one, developed for CEC Micro®.The scanner has a tiny robot built-in within the head that is released on the surface being scanned. Like a bug, it can access tight spots and travel in any direction (even upside down!) thanks to tiny velcro-like hairs on the soles of its robotic feet. It can micro-scan transparent and shiny objects with high structural and colour accuracy.
The printer is able to 2.5D print microscopic structures of materials on flat surfaces or 3D objects. This results in realistic and stable textured surfaces, which replicate the inherent structure and properties of the desired texture. This cutting-edge technology allows for the creation of exact microscopic reproductions of any organic or inorganic materials.

This work can be divided in three parts:

Film
Running time: 7:16 minutes
Size: HDTV (1920x1080) 23.976fps

Speculative machines
Type A: h122mm x w97mm x d108mm / Acrylic based spray gun ink; 3D printing resin; Casio 2.5D paper and inkjet inks
Type B: h133mm x w108mm x d108mm / Acrylic based spray gun ink; 3D printing resin; Casio 2.5D paper and inkjet inks
Type C: h91mm x w70mm x d70mm / Acrylic based spray gun ink; 3D printing resin; Casio 2.5D paper and inkjet inks / metal magnet and wire
Boxes: h135mm x w140mm x d140mm / Casio 2.5D paper; cardboard; glue; inkjet inks; CNC milled styrofoam (inside)

Tables
Table for Types: h1300mm x w1025mm x d755mm / Casio 2.5D paper; wood; metal rods; wood glue; metal screws
Table for boxes: h750mm x w900mm x d310mm / Casio 2.5D paper; inkjet inks; wood; wood glue; metal screws

This work can be divided in three parts:

Film
Running time: 7:16 minutes
Size: HDTV (1920x1080) 23.976fps

Speculative machines
Type A: h122mm x w97mm x d108mm / Acrylic based spray gun ink; 3D printing resin; Casio 2.5D paper and inkjet inks
Type B: h133mm x w108mm x d108mm / Acrylic based spray gun ink; 3D printing resin; Casio 2.5D paper and inkjet inks
Type C: h91mm x w70mm x d70mm / Acrylic based spray gun ink; 3D printing resin; Casio 2.5D paper and inkjet inks / metal magnet and wire
Boxes: h135mm x w140mm x d140mm / Casio 2.5D paper; cardboard; glue; inkjet inks; CNC milled styrofoam (inside)

Tables
Table for Types: h1300mm x w1025mm x d755mm / Casio 2.5D paper; wood; metal rods; wood glue; metal screws
Table for boxes: h750mm x w900mm x d310mm / Casio 2.5D paper; inkjet inks; wood; wood glue; metal screws

https://thedesignfilmfestival.com/screenings-artcrimealgorithms/ , https://www.d-lab.kit.ac.jp/videos/2019/video-nestor-pestana/ , http://nestorpestana.co.uk/Crime-art-and-algorithms , https://vimeo.com/463175409 , https://vimeo.com/345116358

https://vimeo.com/345076798

nestorpestana.co.uk , https://www.instagram.com/pes_nes

I am a Venezuelan born educator, designer and multimedia artist based in the U.K. and Portugal. My work is multidisciplinary and I often engage in collaborations with scientists, technologists and other practitioners, to promote knowledge exchange, critical thinking and lifelong learning. I hold a 1st Class Honours Degree in Design from the University of Aveiro (Portugal), followed by an MA in Design Interactions from the Royal College of Art (U.K., 2015).

My practice focuses on the necessity for critical engagement with contemporary and emerging issues related to technology, ecology and politics. To facilitate this I use design fiction, speculation and world-building as storytelling methodologies. Narratives are expressed through a variety of media including moving image and prop/object design. I use these mediums to create immersive experiences aiming at involving visitors actively and critically with the narrative and issue presented.

Exhibition highlights include: The Museum of Lost and Found Potential - Supported by the Wellcome Trust, London 2019; Authentic Fictions: Speculative Futures for 2.5D Printing - DLab Tokyo Gallery, Tokyo 2019; Plumial Space - London College of Fashion Arcade East, London 2018; Night school on Anarres: Imaginings of an Anarchist Utopia - Somerset House, London 2016; and Economics of Uncertainty, Future of Labor - Venice Biennale 2014.

Project Director: Professor Julia Cassim
Advanced Manufacturing Centre: Yu Iwahashi
Museum and Archives: Professor Seishi Namiki
Studio Supervision: Assistant Professor Yasushi Ichikawa and Professor Takayuki Ikegawa

Actors: Yuichi Ogura (Lead researcher), Takashi Kawashima (News reporter), Mimi (Museum officer) and Yoshimura Emiko (Lab assistant)
Camera operator: Tomohiro Tanaka
Sound design and mix: Daniele Zazza
Supervising-sound editor: Taylor Lewin
Sound recording: Milena Resiewitz Kaneko
Production assistance: Takuji Yoshida and Shin Yamashita
Lights: Ichikawa Yasushi
3D modeling: Tomohiro Inoue

London, U.K.