British artist Es Devlin is inviting the public to submit selfies to be transformed by artificial intelligence into a new national portrait [1, 2].
The project aims to redefine national identity by allowing citizens from across the United Kingdom to see themselves as part of a collective visual representation [1, 2]. By utilizing AI to convert personal photos into sketches in Devlin's signature style, the installation democratizes the traditional concept of a national gallery.
Devlin made the call for submissions on Thursday, May 15 [2]. Participants can submit their photos by scanning a QR code, and the resulting AI-generated sketches are currently visible at the National Portrait Gallery in London [1, 2].
The initiative seeks to move away from the historical focus on elite figures, instead creating a portrait that reflects the diversity of the modern population. Devlin said, "I want people from every corner of the UK to see themselves in a new kind of national portrait, created together with AI" [2].
According to Devlin, the concept for this specific national portrait was first conceived three years ago [1]. The project merges contemporary technology with traditional portraiture to explore how a nation views itself in the digital age.
The display remains active at the gallery, serving as an evolving piece of art that grows as more members of the public contribute their likenesses [1, 2].
“I want people from every corner of the UK to see themselves in a new kind of national portrait, created together with AI.”
This installation represents a shift in institutional art, moving from curated, static histories to dynamic, crowdsourced identities. By using AI to standardize diverse inputs into a single artistic style, Devlin explores the tension between individual identity and collective national belonging within a prestigious traditional space.
