#New Project – Ghosts from XX century

The project involves the creation of 100 canvases, representing historical figures from the 20th century and the purpose of the way to expose them. The portraits of the ghosts are painted in black and white with a transparent style over a colored base. The author has selected 50 men and 50 women who have left their mark on the 20th century and have since passed away, based on what they represent. The dimensions range from 40 x 40 cm (15,75 x 15,75 inches) to 200 x 150 cm (78,74 x 59 inches) with different sizes. The idea is that all the images will be animated through AR technology, so that through a specific app, viewers can scan the paintings and all of them will be animated. The project also aims to have an exhibition where the original 100 paintings can be viewed, and so viewers could immerse themselves in a chronological journey through the past century. Below is the complete list of the one hundred figures divided by decade and gender.The division into decades is indicative of the historical period in which the characters contributed to shaping the history of the 1900s. Of course, in the presentation, each character will be accompanied by a brief biographical text.

1.1 The Ghosts

In “The Golden Year of the Ghosts,” each of the 100 portraits in this series captures the essence of an extraordinary individual at the pinnacle of their life—a moment when they reached their personal zenith. These portraits are not just mere depictions; they are anchored in a specific year, chosen as the “golden year” of each figure, when their influence, achievements, or impact on the world were at their highest.

The year selected for each individual represents a time when their spirit shone brightest, whether through a groundbreaking discovery, an iconic performance, or a defining act of courage. These “golden years” encapsulate the moments that immortalized these figures, ensuring their legacies endure far beyond their lifetimes.

Through this series, we invite you to step into the world of these 100 ghosts, to witness the years when they etched their names into history. Each portrait is a celebration of human potential, frozen in time at the moment of greatest brilliance.

1900’

1.Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) – 1900

2.Akiko Yosano (1878-1942) – 1901 

3.Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) – 1901 

4.Marie Curie (1867-1934) – 1903 

5.Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) – 1909 

1910’

6.Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962) – 1913

7.Albert Einstein (1879-1955) – 1915

8.Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) – 1917

1920’

9.Alice Milliat (1884-1957) – 1922

10.Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) – 1925

11.Sergei Eisenstein (1879-1955) – 1925

12.Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) – 1925

13.Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980) – 1925

14.Coco Chanel (1883-1971) – 1926

15.Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) – 1928

16.Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) – 1929

1930’

17.Greta Garbo (1905-1990) – 1930

18.Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) – 1931

19.Gala Dalí (1894-1982) – 1931

20.Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) – 1932

21.Mae West (1893-1980) – 1933

22.Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) – 1936

23.Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) – 1936 

24.Maruja Mallo (1902-1995) – 1936 

25.Jesse Owens (1913-1980) – 1936

26.Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) – 1937

27.Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) – 1939 

1940’

28.Orson Welles (1915-1985) – 1941

29.Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) – 1942

30.Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979) – 1942

31.Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982) – 1942

32.Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000) – 1942

33.Robert Capa (1913-1954) – 1944

34.Edith Piaf (1915-1963) – 1946

35.Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) – 1947

36.Eva Perón (1919-1952) – 1947

37.Alicia Alonso (1920-2019) – 1948 

38.Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) – 1949 

39.Mao Zedong (1893-1976) – 1949

40.George Orwell (1903-1950) – 1949

1950’

41.Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) – 1952

42.Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) – 1953 

43.Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) – 1954

44.Maria Callas (1923-1977) – 1954 

45.Grace Kelly (1929-1982) – 1955 

46.Romy Schneider (1938-1982) – 1955 

47.Anna Magnani (1908-1973) – 1955

48.James Dean (1931-1955) – 1955

49.Rosa Parks (1913-2005) – 1955

50.Elvis Presley (1935-1977) – 1956

51.Chien-Shiung Wu (1912-1997) – 1957

52.Mary Jackson (1921-2005) – 1958

1960’

53.Ray Charles (1930-2004) – 1960

54.Federico Fellini (1920-1993) – 1960

55.Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916-2000) – 1960

56.Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) – 1961

57.Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) – 1961

58.Maya Plisetskaya (1925-2015) – 1961 

59.Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999) – 1962

60.Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) – 1962

61.Andy Warhol (1928-1987) – 1962

62.John F. Kennedy – 1962

63.Miriam Makeba – 1963 

64.Martin Luther King Jr. (1917-1963) – 1963

65.Malcolm X (1925-1965) – 1964

66.Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) – 1964

67.Ernesto Che Guevara (1928-1967) – 1964

68.Nina Simone (1933-2003) – 1965 

69.Huey Percy Newton (1942-1989) – 1966

70.Hibari Misora (1937-1989) – 1965 

71.Steve McQueen (1930-1980) – 1968

72.Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) – 1968

73.Annie Easley (1933-2011) – 1969 

74.Janis Joplin (1943-1970) – 1969 

75.Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) – 1969

1970’

76.Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) – 1971

77.John Lennon (1940-1980) – 1971

78.Marlon Brando (1924-2004) – 1972

79.David Bowie (1947-2016) – 1972

80.Bruce Lee (1940-1973) – 1973

81.Bob Marley (1945-1981) – 1977

1980’

82.Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) – 1982

83.Mercedes Sosa (1935-2009) – 1982 

84.Thomas Sankara (1949-1987) – 1984

85.Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) – 1985

86.Letizia Battaglia (1935-2020) – 1986

87.Diego Maradona (1960-2020) – 1986 

88.Rita Levi-Montalcini (1909-2012) – 1986 

89.Bernardo Bertolucci (1941-2018) – 1987

90.Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) – 1987 

91.Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) – 1988

92.Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007) – 1988 

1990’

93.Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007) – 1990

94.Whitney Houston (1963-2012) – 1992 

95.Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) – 1993 

96.Margherita Hack (1922-2013) – 1993 

97.Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) – 1994

98.Tupac Shakur (1971-1996) – 1996

99.Wisława Szymborska (1923-2012) – 1996 

100.Diana Spencer (1961-1997) – 1997 

1.2 Paintings and VR demo

Please download the Artivive app (temporary app for the demo of this project, a dedicated app with integrated shop will be made). To see how the paintings on display work. We made these 5 paintings as a model for all 100. I have currently painted 50 of the 100 paintings and I estimate that in six months Fesma and Alisa will be able to completely finish the series.

1. Download Artivive app, You can look on Apple store or Google Play 
2. Scan the images bellow

1.3 The App

The goal of the app is to offer viewers a digital extension of Fesma and Aelis works. By animating each painting into a video format, it creates a new experience in the way art is exhibited. From a commercial perspective, the app will include an online store that will allow for on-demand purchasing of products derived from the 100 artworks, as well as the ability to buy tickets for attending the exhibitions. The estimated development time for the complete development of this app  is about six months.

1.3.1 Integration of AI Chatbot in the Project

1. Advanced Interactivity with AI Chatbot

-Immersive Experience: In addition to VR technology, the app will be enhanced with an advanced AI chatbot designed to interact with the audience in a natural and engaging way. Users will be able to ask questions about the artists, the artworks, and the historical context represented in the paintings, receiving detailed and immediate responses.

– Personalized Assistance: The AI chatbot will offer personalized assistance during the virtual visit, suggesting thematic paths, deeper insights into specific historical periods or figures, and guiding the user through the experience interactively.

– Dynamic Interaction: The integration of the AI chatbot will create a dynamic relationship between the art and the visitor, making the experience not only visual but also cognitive and educational, thereby enriching the understanding and appreciation of the exhibited works.

2. Advanced Technological Development

– Complete Integration: The app will be developed with a technological infrastructure that seamlessly integrates VR functionalities with artificial intelligence. This will ensure a smooth and immersive user experience where AR animations and AI interactions coexist harmoniously.

– Multifunctional App: The app will not only offer a window into the augmented reality of the artworks but will also serve as a digital assistant for visitors, helping to resolve doubts, providing additional information, and personalizing the experience according to user preferences.

3. Future Objectives

–  Expansion of Interactive Capabilities: With the addition of the AI chatbot, the project aims to transform the way people interact with art, taking the experience to a higher level. The chatbot will not just be an informative tool but a companion during the exploration of the exhibitions.

– Continuous Innovation: This development represents only the beginning of a continuous innovation journey, where technology is central to enhancing the user experience and creating a deeper connection between art and the public.

1.4 The Spaces

In line with the need to create an immersive experience, Alessandro, our architect, has chosen to design a circular spiral labyrinth that functions as a large time machine. The space, divided into ten decades, will also be furnished with elements and colors that evoke the different eras. A grand initial portal will open the public’s journey through time. The space includes 320 meters (1050’ feet) of linear panels, of which approximately 235 meters (771’ feet) are for the exhibition of the paintings. The selected panels are 2.5 x 1 meters (8,20 x 3,28 feet) and each one is equipped with alarms. The ideal mounting space for this structure is in a 25 x 20 meters (85’x66’ feet)  room. Here you can observe the ideal floor plan of the exhibition. 

2 The project

From Austin to Boston Estimated time: 24 exhibitions in 3 years

Plan for the Traveling Exhibition

1. Planning and Logistics

1.1. Location Planning

• Choosing Cities: Identify major cities across the United States to include in the tour. Consider cultural centers, metropolitan areas, and cities with high tourist traffic.
• Availability Check: Book appropriate exhibition spaces in the selected cities. Each space should be large enough to accommodate the spiral structure and the exhibition.

1.2. Timing

• 28 Days of Exhibition: Each exhibition will be open to the public for 21 days.
• 21 Days for Setup and Teardown, Move it and rebuild it in the next space.

1.3. Transport and Logistics

• Transportation: Plan the safe transport of panels and equipment between cities. Use specialized art and complex structure movers.
• Storage: Organize secure temporary storage for artworks during the move.

2. Setup and Installation

2.1. Structure Assembly

• Setup Team: A specialized team for installation and setup of exhibitions will be present on-site.
• Setup Time: more or less 7 days to assemble the spiral structure and arrange the panels.

2.2. Exhibition Setup

• Artwork Installation: Position the 100 paintings and configure the augmented reality system.
• Decorations: Furnish the space with elements and colors reflecting different decades.

3. Marketing and Promotion

3.1. Preparation and Marketing

• Marketing Team: A dedicated team will prepare promotional campaigns for each city.
• Advertising Campaigns: Create and distribute advertising materials, use social media, and collaborate with local influencers.
• Events and PR: Organize launch events and press conferences to attract media attention.

3.2. Public Relations

• Pre-opening: Inform the public and local media about the upcoming opening through press releases and advertising.
• Feedback and Interaction: Collect visitor feedback and use social media to maintain engagement and interest.

4. Operations and Maintenance

4.1. Maintenance

• Daily Checks: Regularly check the safety and condition of artworks and equipment.
• Visitor Assistance: Provide dedicated staff for assistance and guidance during the exhibition.

4.2. Teardown and Transfer

• Teardown: more or less 7 days to dismantle the structure and pack the artworks.
• Transfer: Organize transport to the next city.
• Preparation for New Location: Start preparing for setup in the next city immediately upon arrival.

5. Final Considerations

5.1. Budget and Funding

• Cost Management: Carefully monitor transportation, setup, and marketing costs.
• Funding Sources: Seek sponsors and local partners to financially support the exhibition.

5.2. Documentation and Reporting

• Activity Recording: Document each phase of the exhibition for future reference and final reports.
• Results Analysis: Evaluate the success of the exhibition based on attendance, feedback, and return on investment.

5.3. If the project in the USA is a success, we will proceed with planning a Canadian, European and/or Asian tour.

3 Team

Fesma – Filippo Esmaily – Artist and project creator

Brenda Schild – Project Manager

Aelis – Alisa Primakova – Artist

Alessandro Scarabotti – Architect and space conceptual designer

Juan Moya Cobo – Digital Artist

Fernando Cortiglia – Making off director and photographer

4 Paintings Gallery

In the following images you can see some paintings already done for this project.