alsino skowronnek

The Amazing Augmented Tagger Machine - Pt. 2: The Wall

Graffiti Tags generated by Artificial Intelligence

01. The project
The "Amazing Augmented Tagger Machine" explores the potential of artificial intelligence in the creative process of graffiti writing. It employs machine learning (ML) to generate novel street tags that transcend traditional letter forms. I have documented the idea, the data collection and training process behind the project here.

02. The show
In October 2019, I was invited to show the project at the »City Science Summit« in Hamburg, Germany, organized by the HCU City Science Lab and the MIT Media Lab.

03. The Wall (Pt. 2)
Whereas the generated graffiti tags in the original project were applied to a soft white cloth surface, for this occasion I decided to construct a wood and tile replica of a brick wall as the surface for the ML-generated tags. The dimensions of the wall are 3m x 2m and it is comprised of three modules which can be connected to form a full 6sqm brick wall.

04. Bricks and traces
Brick walls are a classic backdrop for graffiti writing as they are a symbol of conformist urban architecture, especially in German cities. The spray paint traces in the seams of brick-tiled walls are a reference to the unintended use of these walls by taggers.