"Painting Mirror" - interactive video mapping experience

Co-presented by the Ambassade de France au Canada (French Embassy in Canada), Institut français and OCAD University, Painting Mirror is an interactive video mapping where photos submitted by OCAD U students will be projected and transformed in the style of great artists (painting, street art, drawing).

These styles are generated by artificial intelligence (AI). This mapping allows for the recognition of local creative heritage in an accessible manner while raising awareness about ethical uses of AI. As a result, people attending the event will find themselves in a large gallery of projected paintings.

This video mapping will be led by artist Maxime Touroute who has come to OCAD University for the second time in two years. He is working with students on two projects, one involving a series of XR works made in collaboration with Experimental Animation students for a student event and this event on Oct. 31, a reprise of Painting Mirror.

ABOUT MAXIME TOUROUTE
Maxime Touroute is an artist exploring spaces where technology and humanity intersect. His work investigates how our most human traits – creativity, interaction and togetherness – are reshaped by the digital age.

Through participatory and immersive experiences, Touroute invites audiences to reflect on the connections that unite us in a world shaped by technology.

Each of Touroute’s projects is powered by creative software he develops in-house. His dedication to making digital creation more accessible drives him to share his tools and expertise with a broad community of actors, from artists to cultural institutions.

By breaking down technical barriers, he engages in cross-disciplinary collaborations with dancers, theater makers, musicians, illustrators, and more. Over the years, this approach has led him to the creation of hybrid artistic forms and a creative software company.

His software is currently used in numerous artworks distributed internationally but also repurposed by museums, festivals and cultural institutions for immersive experiences, cultural mediation, cultural outreach and accessibility.

Touroute’s artistic vision and engagement have been rewarded by numerous international tours, talks and awards including two entrepreneurship “Pépite” awards from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.