With this work Vincent Moro and Aurora Giampaoli explores the possibility of reinterpreting the classic concept of the family portrait through the use of computational technology. The authors have developed a program that generates an “Eigenface”: an image based on a facial recognition technique that utilizes eigenvectors to represent an image as a linear combination of a set of basis images. In this case, the basis images for this Eigenface are derived from a dataset of images of the author’s family, spanning four generations. By presenting the observer with this pretentious synthesis of the identity of an entire family generated by the program, the authors challenge the idea of family identity being a simple sum of its constituent parts and its visual representation through facial recognition techniques. This leads the viewer to consider how the generated image compares with actual photographs and the mental model of a traditional family portrait, ultimately raising questions about the accuracy and validity of such representations.

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Project concept by Vincent Moro and Aurora Giampaoli .

Original photos courtesy of Aurora Giampaoli’s family.

Software engineer: Francesco Romani.