Robot muralist: how to turn a building into a work of art

By Vladimir Tsimberg

Technological advances have revolutionized our daily lives, changing how we think and expanding our possibilities. Now, we perceive many things differently, and we no longer consider a future where a room can be painted with a single click or wallpapered as in simulation games to be out of reach. In art and design, technology is infiltrating cautiously but confidently. Robots, along with computers and tablets, are emerging as new tools for artists, actively contributing to creation and even becoming part of the design process.

My name is Vladimir Tsimberg, and I’m the founder of Robohood Inc. We taught an industrial robotic manipulator to paint with brushes and on various surfaces, using it to create murals. In this article, I will look at how a robot can create stunning paintings not unlike museum frescoes, and explore why technology is breathing new life into this ancient form of mural art, transforming the very process of its creation into a genuine work of art.

Walls have been some of the earliest canvases in civilization. From depictions of hunting rituals on cave walls to biblical frescoes in churches, humans have adorned them with a variety of drawings. Robotic artists present a great opportunity to reintroduce mural painting into interiors, bridging ancient art with modern tools.

Robohood technology allows large vertical surfaces to be painted using an industrial manipulator. This is not even the "effect" of painting, but literally creating an image on the walls.

Robohood was initially conceived as a project to simplify the creation of art, make it more accessible, and allow for the creation of memorable interiors. As we looked deeper, we saw how much of the same type of commercial and residential real estate and infrastructure there is. Each resembled a blank canvas waiting to be painted. In this context, art becomes a necessity rather than a luxury, something that attracts people, reduces aesthetic apathy, and becomes a distinctive feature of an entire building complex.

So we decided to go beyond the limits of a single canvas and tackle a larger scale - the wall. With the help of a robot, we had already created large canvases, and the technology allows us to be free from specific size constraints.

The robot can continuously create dimensionless paintings directly on the wall, either in a freestyle or according to a concept developed by a designer. Unlike a human artist, its physical and creative resources are inexhaustible. The robot never stops painting, endlessly layering new strokes on top of existing ones. This transforms the process into a performance, adding not only static decoration to the interior but an entire spectacle in which the painting appears before the eyes of the audience. The continuous painting by the robot creates a dynamically changing design. The focus is not on the result, but on the process itself - the story of the creation of this infinite masterpiece of cultural value. The essence is in the work, which will have no end, and anyone can participate in this performance.

Collaboration is a characteristic of 21st-century art. It is essential to reach a peak of participation that creates positive emotions and impressions. Professional designers and residents alike can be a part of the project. There are many examples of apartment owners contributing to the landscaping of common areas, planting trees, and creating gardens hand in hand with landscape designers and developers. Research shows that creating art has many benefits, such as combating feelings of anxiety and social isolation. In a 2018 survey in London, 84 percent of respondents felt that participating in art projects had a positive impact on their wellbeing. Involvement in this process fosters a strong connection to the place where people will spend a significant amount of time. Interaction with such technology as the Robotic Artist intensifies emotions when the opportunity arises.

The robot opens up the possibility of creating vivid, highly individualized designs. Each mural becomes exclusive. This is a unique feature of Robohood technology that doesn't produce identical images. This makes each room distinctive, increasing its value. The technique of fresco painting is not only a form, it is also a content, an idea with a specific value.

I think the creator of the artwork also plays an important role. A bold statement as the Robotic artist can generate additional interest. Social media remains a primary platform for native advertising, and the performance of a robot painting a wall, highlighted in someone's feed, draws attention to the object. By the way, according to Hubspot's research, unconventional advertising is a driving force in engaging millennials who dislike direct approaches. There are often huge lines to such art installations, with people eager to take pictures.?

According to a study by the Sign Research Foundation, 60% of businesses increased sales by an average of 10% after incorporating large paintings and murals into their exterior and interior spaces.

In the United States, one developer experimented with frescoes on two buildings. As the company's marketing director noted, curious eyes are more than just observers. "You'll often see people come in to take a selfie, but the level of amazement they experience leads them to ask for a tour of the complex." This helps differentiate the brand from many others. As director Woody Allen says, the ability to always be visible is 80% of success.

British art curator and entrepreneur Ed Bartlett, in his book Street Art, points out that murals are now actively developing in cities such as Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Lisbon, New York, Chicago, Mexico City, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, and others. Murals have the potential to be not only an act of creativity but also a method of conveying information in a playful, unobtrusive way. Giants from different sectors, such as Netflix, Microsoft, and Slack, decorated the premises of their buildings with murals that reflect their values and traditions.

Microsoft, by the way, took full advantage of technology by designing walls. They became living screens that changed colors and motifs. As I said, the robot itself creates a dynamic design, but unlike the scripted scenario inside such screens, with a robot, you never know what will happen next. This is the "wow effect" that Robohood gives you.

Interior murals are growing in popularity as the agenda on the importance of mental health spreads. American psychologist Ron Friedman's book, "The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace," explains how the aesthetics of office walls affect the way we work. Researchers in workplace psychology believe that the aesthetic design of wall space can increase or decrease our motivation, creativity, and ability to learn.

Many frescoes have added historical value to buildings. Churches and merchant houses are treated with special reverence when they have monumental works of art.

Before the widespread use of canvas, walls served as the primary material for creating paintings. When we hear the word "fresco," we automatically think of any picture on a wall; however, it has an official name. It refers to a type of painting on fresh plaster. Walls were covered with a mixture of chalk and animal glue, then covered with paint. The technique itself required considerable speed: the work had to be completed before the lime set, and it required the utmost skill since the slightest mistake by the artist meant that the plaster had to be removed entirely.

Frescoes adorned walls and ceilings in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Byzantium, and Russia from the 10th to the 12th century. The Renaissance marked a surge in the development of this technique. Artists such as Cennino Cennini, Raphael, Michelangelo, Vasari, Tintoretto, Luca Giordano, and Tiepolo adorned the walls of Italian churches with biblical stories.

One of Leonardo da Vinci’s most popular works, “The Last Supper,” also uses a slightly original method known as fresco-secco. With this technique, Leonardo took precautions to correct mistakes made during the painting process, giving not only a magnificent masterpiece but also a job for future restorers. They must now carefully monitor the condition of The Last Supper, as the painting is sensitive to any external influences.

In the 19th century, simpler techniques such as murals and monumental painting replaced frescoes. Murals and monumental paintings differ from graffiti in their complex and expressive ideas. This form of art is associated with the heyday of the avant-garde, when artists sought to break away from classical painting and challenge the rules of academism, bringing revolutionary art to the masses. Biblical stories gave way to provocative themes. For example, a major scandal erupted when Mexican artist Diego Rivera created the most talked-about mural of the last century at Rockefeller Center. Headlines read, "Rivera paints communist scenes, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. foots the bill." The composition included brutally honest scenes of the horrors of chemical warfare and the plight of the people, as well as the mural "Man at the Crossroads," in which Rivera depicted a May Day demonstration in Moscow and Vladimir Lenin. Without ever showing it to the public, they destroyed the mural.

In contemporary architecture, mural painting on walls and interiors is an interesting tradition. Rich and interesting frescoes still adorn many facades as decorations. However, this form of painting is not particularly popular inside buildings. Perhaps the decline is because of a reduced number of traditional academic artists, or perhaps fresco itself as a cultural practice is less in demand. In recent decades, the art world has seen the emergence of various competing technologies, such as digital and large-format printing, which can produce giant photo murals, as well as other innovative design solutions.

Robohood offers an opportunity to revive this culture and increase its impact by incorporating a robot and an intriguing creation story. Historically, viewers have tended to appreciate paintings with an interesting narrative rather than a simple but talented image. Robots and murals painted with their brushes are currently attracting the most genuine attention and admiration from audiences, as this practice is not yet widespread.