Patrick Tresset is a Brussels-based artist who, in his work, explores human traits and the aspects of human experience. His work reflects recurrent ideas such as embodiment, passing time/time passing, childhood, conformism, obsessiveness, nervousness, the need for storytelling, and mark-making. He is best known for his performative installations using robotic agents as stylized actors that make marks and for his exploration of the drawing practice using computational systems and robots.
In his late 30s, after working as a painter for 15 years, he attended Goldsmiths College, London, for a master’s degree and then an MPhil in arts and computational technologies. Aside from his artistic practice, in 2013, he was a senior visiting research fellow at Konstanz University and is currently an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Canberra. His past research work is referenced in more than a hundred academic publications in various fields (computational graphics, drawing, psychology, AI, robotics).
Since 2011, his work has been exhibited in solo and group shows, including in association with major museums such as; The Pompidou Center (Paris), Prada Foundation (Milan), Tate Modern (London), V&A, MMCA (Seoul), The Grand Palais (Paris), BOZAR (Brussels), TAM (Beijing), Mcam (Shanghai), Mori Museum (Tokyo). In 2015 a monograph with seven essays; Human Traits and the Art of Creative Machines, about Patrick’s work was published by the Centre for Contemporary Art Laznia, edited by Ryszard W. Kluszczyńs. His drawings are in a large number of small private collections and in more significant ones, including the V&A (London), Guerlain Foundation (Paris), McaM (Shanghai) and Maison d’ailleurs (Yverdon, CH). His installations have been awarded prizes and distinctions (Lumens, Ars Electronica, NTAA, Japan Media festival) . His works have featured in numerous media, including; Art press, Art review, Beaux art, Frieze, Arte, Form, Wired, Vice, BBC, DeWelle, Le monde, New York Times.
EXHIBITIONS
SOLO SHOWS
Human Study I & II, Burg Ranfels, DE, 28 May-15 Dec, 2022, Ranfels, DE
Art Unchained, Human Study #1, Artistree, 11- 22 Nov. 2020, Hong-Kong
La petite Vanité au Robot et à la Souris, Galerie Rue Antoine, Paris, FR, 13 – 23 Sep 2019
Umeni Robota, Galerie T-REA, Mons, BE, 12 May – 9 Jun 2019
Etude Humaine #1, Galerie Rue Antoine, Paris, FR, 13-23 Jun 2018
Whilst We Were Here …, Watermans Center, London, UK, 18 Oct.- 04 Jan. 2017
Machine Studies, Merge, Algarve House, London, UK, 23 May-04 Jun 2017
Human Traits #2, Dixit Algorizmi, Gallery, Berlin, DE, 03 Nov-31 Dec 2016
Human Traits, Laznia, Gdansk, PL, 31 Jun-05 Jul 2015
Human Studies, Bildungsturm, Konstanz, DE, 27 Sep-15 Oct 2013
6 RNP, Merge, Supported by Tate Modern, London, UK, 19 Sept-21 Oct 2012
New Work, Tenderpixel Gallery, London, UK, 19 Jun-09 Jul 2011
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2022
Wonderspaces, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Wonderspaces, Philadelphia, USA
100 Years of Robots, curated by Zaven Paré, Centro Cultural Oi Futuro, Rio de Janeiro, BR, April-june
ISEA2022, CCCB, Barcelona, SP, 10-16 June
Brain(s), Center for Contemporary Culture, Barcelona, 27 Jul – 11 Dec.
White Nights, Bratislava, SK, 18 -21 September
2021
VisionarIAs, Etopia, 21 jan – 1 sep, Zaragoza, Spain
Wonderspaces, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Wonderspaces, Philadelphia, USA
Still/Life, Katonah Art Museum, 16 mar – 17 June, Katonah, NY, USA
2020
Singularity University Summit,18-20 Feb, Costa Rica
Wonderspaces, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
National Arts Festival, South africa, 25 Jun – 5 Jul, Online, South africa
Wonderspaces, Philadelphia, USA
Gotzendammerung , Haus Der Kunst” 24-31 Sep.,Munich, Germany
Thin as Thorns, in These Thoughts in Us”, Honor Fraser Gallery, Sep -mar 2021, L.A.,
Haus der elektronischen Künste, Olso night, Sep 22, Basel
Lumen #5, Maison de la Marionnette 3 – 25 oct, Tournai, Belgium
AvantGoůt, Patrick Tresset, Saint-Ex 15 Oct – 16 dec
Gitex, World Trade Center, Dubai 6-10 Dec Dubai UAE
2019
Human Study #1, Kunstkraftwerk, Leipzig, DE, 24 Apr – 20 Dec
Machine Power Man, Werkraum-Schoepflin, Lörrach, DE, 30 Mar – 7 May
Human Study #1, Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven, ND, 19 Apr – 8 May
Talent Land, Jalisco, MX, 22-26 Apr
Human Study #1, University of Canberra Hospital, AU, 11-14 Jun
Title TBC, Today Art Museum, Beijing, CN, 19 Aug – 24 Oct
Singularity University , Brussels, BE, 23-24 Sep.
CyberArts 2019, OK Center for Contemporary Art, Linz, AT, 5-15 Sep
Copacabana, Rome, IT, 18-20 Oct
Kikk Festival, Namur, 31 Oct – 3 Nov
Mind the Deep, Ming Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai, CN, 7 Nov- 20 Feb.
Assembled Human, Folkwang Museum, Essen, DE, 7 Nov – 20 Mar
The State of Us, The Lowry, Salford, UK, 9 Nov – 20 Feb
Patrick Tresset (FR) a Quayola (IT): Umenie Kreativinich Strojov, tabacka-kulturfabrik, Kosice, SK, 7 Oct – 20 Dec.
The Future and the Arts, Mori Museum, Tokyo, JP, 19 Nov – 24 Mar
Portraits Anonymes, Bains Douches, Marseilles, FR, 21 Nov – 21 Dec
Kirchner Notebooks, Kirchner Museum, Davos, CH, 22 Nov – 14 Mar
Deus Ex Machina. LABoral, Gijón, SP, 22 Nov – 30 Aug
2018
Ghost, Japan Media Festival, Kyoto, JP, 14 Jan – 16 Feb
I am here to learn, Frankfurter Kunstverein, DE, 15 Feb – 8 Apr
DocVille Festival, Leuven, BE, 22 Mar – 1 Apr
Artistes et Robots, Grand Palais, Paris, 5 Apr – 1 Apr
Trace, New Media Gallery, New Westminster, CA, 28 Apr – 1 Jul
Robot Art Symposium, ICRA2018, Brisbane, AU, 21-25 May
MakerArt, Les Machines de l’Ile, Nantes, FR, 6-8 Jul
Goshka Macuga, Neue Museum, Nuremberg, DE, 13 Jul – 16 Sep
Mirrar, Fundacion Telefonica, Lima, PE, 3 Aug – 4 Apr
Beyond 2001, Espacio Fundación Telefónica, Madrid, ES, 31 Oct – 17 Feb
Patchlab, Bunkier Stuki, Krakow, PL, 23 Oct – 28 Oct
Absent Minded, Frieze event, Etro, London, 4-20 Oct
KPMG, Hotel Rothchild, Paris, FR, 26 Oct – 28 Oct
Singularity University, Puerto Vallarta, MX, 8-9 Nov
Festival di Arte e Robotica, Trieste, IT, 17-28 Nov
FI Forum, Frankfurt, DE, 17-20 Nov
ADAF, Athens, GR, 24-27 May
2017
Benevolent Machine, World Economic Forum, Davos, CH, 16-20 Jan
Mois Multi, Québec, CA, 02-26 Feb
Digital Choc: Machines désirantes, Institut Français du Japon, Tokyo, JP, 10 Feb-20 Mar
Le Musée Absent, Wiels, Brussels, BE, 24 Apr-13 Aug
Animal, Man, Machine, Verbeke Foundation, BE, 23 Apr-30 Oct
SEEING Tour, Frost Museum, Miami, USA, 24 Apr-20 Oct
Face and Identity, Silkeborg Bad Art Centre, DK, 02 Apr-15 Oct
Artists and Robots, RMN, Astana, KAZ, 10 Jun – 10 Sept
Smart Factory, Tetris, Le Havre, FR, 23 Jun – 3 Sep
Artist Maker Fair, Le Machines de L’ile, Nantes, FR, 07-10 Jul
Human Traits III, YenakArt Gallery, Bangkok, TH, 1 Jul-1 Oct
Speculum Artium, Trbovlje, SL, 14 -17 Sep
Art Director Club of Europe, Disseny Hub, Barcelona, 9-11 Nov
Illusion, OMSI, Portland, Oregon, US, 28 Nov – 19 Feb
2016
EPC Congress, Fokker Terminal, The Hague, NL, 17 Nov
La Robotica, Gruppo 78, Trieste, IT, 29 Oct-27 Nov
3RNP, Przemiany Festival, Copernicus Centre, Warsaw, PL, 01-04 Sept
Art Tech, ARS Electronica Export, European Forum, Alpbach, AT, 25-28 Aug
HUMAN FACTOR, Ars Electronica Export, Berlin, DE, 10 Jul-27 Aug
SEEING, Science Gallery, Dublin, IR, 24 June-18 Sept
BIAN, Montreal, CA, 03 June-03 July
Mens En Machine, Turnhout, BE, 19 Mar-22 May
EXIT, MAC, Creteil, FR, 07-17 Apr
Ex Nihilo, Nihil Fit, Brussels, BE, 16-24 Apr
VIA, Maubeuge, FR, 10-20 Mar
The son of Man who ate the the scroll, Goshka Macuga, installation, “Before the beginning and after the end”, Foundazione Prada, Milan, IT, 04 Feb-19 June
2015
L’Anatomie de l’automate, La Panacée, Montpellier, FR, 21 Nov-28 Feb
Variation Art Fair, Paris, FR, 19–25 Oct
IJCAI, Centre Cultural Borges, Buenos Aires, AR, 25-30 July
Portraits Robots, Maison d’Ailleurs, Yverdon, CH, 21 June-31 Jan, MyArtBlooms
WRO 2015, Wroclaw, PL, 13 May-30 June
BOZAR, Brussels, BE, 30 Apr-03 May
Robot Essay, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, KR, 28 Apr-19 July
2014
Codes, Audi City, Beijing, CN, 05-20 Dec
Update 5, NTAA, Ghent, BE, 07-24 Nov
Ars Electronica Festival, Linz, AT, 04-08 Sept
Contact Point, Museum of Israel, Jerusalem, IL, 10 July, MyArtBlooms
Art Rock Festival, Saint Brieuc, FR, 39 June
Vittenfabrikken, Sandnes, NO, 17 Mar-10 Apr
2013
INLOVE, installation, studio 1316, Pompidou Center, Paris, FR, 13 Oct-03 Nov
Science Museum, London, UK, 01 Aug
La Gaite Lyrique, Paris, FR, 12 June
2012
V & A Museum, London, UK, 21-22 Sept
The Lighthouse, Brighton, UK, 17-26 Feb
Kinetica Art Fair, London, UK, 09-12 Feb
London Art Fair, UK, 18-22 Jan
2011
The Macy Gallery, Columbia University, New York, USA, 28-29 Oct
Uncontainable: Untitled, ISEA2011, Istanbul, TR, 14-21 Sept
V & A Museum, London, UK, 26-27 Aug
2010
Unleashed Devices, Watermans Centre, London, UK, 10 Sept-22 Oct
Science Museum, London, UK, 25 June
Kinetica Art fair, London, UK, 04-7 Feb
TALKS (not recently updated)
2017
Benevolent Machine, World Economic Forum, Davos, CH, 19 Jan
La Mécanique du Trait, Institut Français, Tokyo, JP, 09 Feb
The Story Conference, Conway Hall, London, UK, 17 Feb
La Mécanique du Trait, Biennale Internationale du Design, Saint Etienne, FR, 28 Mar
2016
ECP Congress, The Hague, NL, 17 Nov
La Mécanique du Trait, Musée des Arts et Metiers, Paris, FR, 10 Nov
Human Traits, Book Launch, Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw, PL, 02 Sept
Interface Monthly, The Trampery, London, UK, 24 Aug
Human Factor, Drive, Ars Electronica, Berlin, DE, 09 Aug
Etudes Humaines, Les machines de L’île, Nantes, FR, 10 Jul
2015
RRI-ICT Forum, IMAL, Brussels, BE, 10 Nov
ING event, Brussels, BE, 26 Mar
An Artistic Practice, Fish Island Lab, London, UK, 22 Jan
Artistically Skilled Embodied Agents, CogNovo, Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK, 19 Jan
2014
Codes, Audi City, Beijing, CN, 08 Dec
Experimenta, Grenoble, FR, 09 Oct
Forum Science, Recherche et Société, CNAM, Paris, FR, 22 May
RoboForum, Moscow, RU, 17 May
The artist as Automaton, UBS Arts Forum, Wolfsberg, CH, 07-08 Apr
Artistically Skilled Embodied Agents, Computational Creativity Symposium, AIB50, Goldsmiths, London, UK, 02 Apr
Robolution, Confluence des savoirs, Lyon, FR, 04 Feb
2013
Art and Robotics: Freud’s Unheimlich and the Uncanny Valley, ICRA2013, Karlsruhe, DE, 10 May
A computational evocation of the drawing practice, Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, DE, 25 Apr
2012
CAe, Computational Aesthetics Symposium, Annecy, FR, 04-06 June
A computational evocation of the drawing practice, Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, DE, 25 Apr
Robots and Art, La Ciudad De Las Ideas, MX, U.M.S., 08-10 Nov
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK, 22 Sept
Artistic Robots, Lovebytes, Megadork Sheffield, UK, 23 Mar
2011
The Hospital Club, London, UK, 22 Nov
Thinking Through Drawing Symposium, Columbia University, New York, USA, 28 Oct
Robotic Department, Brown University, Providence, USA, 25 Oct
Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Brown University, Providence, USA, 25 Oct
PopTech! 2011, Camden, USA, 19-22 Oct
Skediomata: guinea pig and performer ISEA 2011, Istanbul, TR, 15 Sept
Patrick Tresset in conversation with Paul Squires, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK, 25 Aug
Seminar on robotics and anthropology, Quay Branly Museum, Paris, FR, 25 Apr
2010
Computer Arts Society, Watermans Center London, UK, 13 Oct
The Thursday Club, Goldsmiths College London, UK, 30 Sept
Dorkboat 2010 London, UK, 11 Sept
2009
Master Art et technologie de l’image, Paris VIII Paris, FR, 10 Nov
Digital Arts Media & Technology Symposium, Metropolitan University London, UK, 28 Oct
Information Technology and Telecommunication Department of the Universitat Pompeu Barcelona, ES, 16 Sept
The symposium “Art & Science: Exploring the limits of human perception” Benasque, ES 12-17 July
EVA2009 London, BCS, London, UK, 06 June
PyCon.FR, Cyber-base de la Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, Paris, FR, 30-31 May
PRESS (not recently updated)
Form, Franziska Porsche, DE, 2016:
Interview with Patrick Tresset: Simulating Humanness
Arts et Metiers, FR, Nov 2016:
La mecanique du trait
Il Piccolo, Corrado Premuda, IT, 29 Oct 2016:
Tresset porta a trieste il robot intelligente bravissimo a designare
Robohub, Andra Keay, CH, 27 Oct 2016:
Art meets robotics in Patrick Tresset’s OPLINE Prize entry
Rete Civica Trieste, IT, Oct 2016:
Gruppo 78 alla mostra denominata
France Inter, Baptiste Etchegaray, FR, 30 Sept 2016:
A la rencontre de paul le robot dessinateur
Tn2, Algorithms, Sarah Morel, IRL, 29 Sept 2016:
Algorithms, Steel Bolts and a Biro: the future of art in a technology-dominated world
Brain, CN, 02 Sept 2016:
速寫機器人的生命繪畫課
Deutschland Radio Kultur, Anja Krieger, DE, 01 Sept 2016:
Ars Electronica in Berlin
Art Dependence, Etienne Verbist, BE, 25 Aug 2016:
Interview with Patrick Tresset
Berlin Art Link, Julianne Cordray, DE, 21 July 2016:
Exhibition Ars Electronica:’Human Factor-Endless Prototyping’
Make: Caleb Kraft, USA, 20 July 2016:
Artist spends a decade tweaking robot that draws beautifully organic portraits
Creators Project, DJ Pangburn, 13 July 2016:
Robots sketch human portraits in a life drawing class
Le devoir, Jérôme Delgado, FR, 11 June 2016:
Une autre manif et ses machines
The irish times, Brenda Fitzsimons , IRL, 23 June 2016:
Images of the day
Printemps Numerique, Pierre-Luc Senécal, CA, 13 June 2016:
AUTOMATA : l’art des machines
Ourst France , FR, 24 June 2016:
Caen des robots artistes a l’abbaye d’ardenne
The journal, Roisin Nestor, IRL, 24 June 2016:
Fancy having your portrait drawn by three robots called Paul in Dublin?
Creators Project, Beckett Mufson, USA, 26 June 2016:
Drawing robot sketches C-3PO and T-800 Terminator
Emorfes, Apr 2016:
Paul the sketching robot
Prato feito, Eduardo Bhaltasar, BR, 19 Apr 2016:
Ainda há esperança! Depois do robô racista temos o robô artista
The daily beast, Joelle Renstrom, USA, 20 Mar 2016:
The next Picasso is a robot
Huffington Post, Patrick Tresset, USA, 01 Oct 2015:
If We Get Robots to Make Art, They Won’t Bother to Make War
BBC, UK, 08 Sept 2015:
RoBotticelli: the mechanical marvel creating extraordinary works of art
The Creators Project, Beckett Mufson, USA, 26 June 2015:
Drawing Robot Sketches C-3PO and a T-800 Terminator
Huffington Post, Priscilla Frank, USA, 11 Dec 2014:
Meet The Automated Sketch-Bot That Creates Art Just Like We Do
The Creators Project, Beckett Mufson, USA, 07 Nov 2014:
This robot draws like a human
The Telegraph, UK, 15 May 2014:
All singing, all dancing robots appear in Russia for exhibition
Sudkurier, Julia Russ, DE, 15 Oct 2013:
Unter dem scharfen Blick des Malroboters
Le Monde, Catherine Mary, FR, 01 Dec 2012:
Patrick Tresset, L’artiste et son double
El Economista, Manuel Lino, MX, 10 Nov 2012:
Simpatía por los robots
Time Out, Sonia Barber, UK, 16 Oct 2012:
Close encounters: have your portrait drawn by ’6 Robots Named Paul’
The Times, Daisy Greenwell, UK, 11 Oct 2012:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/article3564525.ece
The Financial Times, How to spend it, Vicki Reeve, UK, 01 July 2012:
http://howtospendit.ft.com/art/7595-a-bloomin-good-art-event-in-london
The Independent, Nick Clark, UK, 26 Jan 2012:
Is it art – or science? The robotic Rubens that redefines portraiture.
Telegraph, John O’Ceallaigh, UK, 09 Feb 2012:
Robot artist can draw human likeness using ball-point pen.
El Pais, Roberta Bosco and Stefano Caldana, ES, 21 Mar 2012:
Paul, el pintor inagotable
Financial Times, Rachel Spence, UK, 23 Sept 2011:
Seriously Contemporary
Times of Malta, Rachel Agius, MT, 24 July 2011:
Sketching the future
El Mundo’s scientific magazine “Eureka”, ES, 18 Apr 2010:
Asi nos retrata un robot
New Scientist, Sandrine Ceurstemont, UK, 02 Apr 2010:
Life-drawing robot could teach us about art
BIBLIOGRAPHY (not recently updated)
Monographie: Human Traits. Patrick Tresset and the Art of Creative Machines, Laznia Centre for Contemporary Art. Editor: Ryszard W. Kluszczynski. Poland, Gdansk, 2016
The Drawer. Volume 11- Crash, Les Presses du Reel, Editors: Barbara Soyer and Sophie Toulouse. France, October 2016
Log 36, Anyone Corporation. Editor: Cynthia Davidson. USA, New York , 2016
Le livre des merveilles technologiques, Flammarion S.A. Editors: Igor and Grichka Bogdanov. France, Paris, 2016
Mentira de artista, Cosmogonias Eletricas. Author: Fabio Oliveira Nunes. Brasil, Sao Paulo, 2016
Form Magazine. Germany, Frankfurt, Spring 2016
Robot Essay (catalog), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Editor: Park Deoksun. Korea, Seoul, 2015
Anatomie de L’automate (catalog), La Panacee. France, Montpellier, 2015
Before the beginning and after the end- Goshka Macuga, Fondazione Prada. Editor: Mario Mainetti. Italy, Milan, 2016
Frieze Magazine.UK, London, Spring 2016
Tank Magazine. UK, London, Spring 2014
What it takes to change (catalog), Ars Electronica. Editors: Hannes Leopoldseder, Christine Schopf, Gerfried Stocker. Austria, Linz, 2014
Update_5 NTAA (catalog), Liedts- Meesen Foundation. Belgium, Ghent, 2014
Average is over, Dutton Penguin Group. Written by Tyler Cowen. USA, New York, 2013
RESEARCH PAPERS
P. Tresset, F. F. Leymarie
“Portrait Drawing by Paul the Robot”, Computers and Graphics, volume 37, 2013. (PDF)
“Artistically Skilled Embodied Agents”, Proceedings of AISB2014, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK, 1st – 4th April 2014. (PDF)
P. Tresset, F. F. Leymarie
“Human Robot Interaction and Drawing”,Workshop on “Robot Feedback in Human-Robot Interaction”, part of RoMan, the 21st IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, Paris, France, September 2012.
P. Tresset, F. F. Leymarie
“Sketches by Paul the Robot”, Proceedings of the International Symposium on Computational Aesthetics in Graphics, Visualization, and Imaging, D. Cunningham and D. House, ed.., pp. 17-24, Annecy, France, June. 2012, (Best paper award). (PDF)
P. Tresset, F. F. Leymarie
“Paul the Robot as a Naive Drawer”, Thinking through drawing: Practice into knowledge, A. Kantrowitz, A. Brew and M. Fava, ed., pp. 103-108, New York, NY, USA, Oct. 2011.
P. Tresset, F. F. Leymarie and N. Khaorapapong:
“Skediomata: Guinea Pig and Performer”, Proceedings of ISEA 2011, Istanbul, Turkey, Sept. 2011. (HTML)
P. Tresset and F. F. Leymarie
“AIKON: the Artistic/automatic IKONograph”, ACM SIGGRAPH 2006 Research posters, SIGGRAPH’06, Boston, MA, USA, 2006. (PDF)
P. Tresset and F. F. Leymarie
“Generative Portrait Sketching”, Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia (VSMM), H. Thwaites, ed., pp. 739-748, Ghent, Belgium, October 2005. (PDF)