Metronome Prague 2024: Michal Gabriel, Prusa Pro AFS and visitors„ “HEADS"

At the June music festival Metronome Prague 2024 everybody who visited Met Gallery, could form part of the site of a newly emerging artwork „HEADS“of the important Czech sculptor, professor Michala Gabriela. Relief portraits of volunteers from among the visitors were created in an automated print farm Prusa Pro AFS and gradually filled the entire wall of the installation.

HEADS – joint project Michala Gabriela, Metronome Festival, Greg's brand a PrusaLab – eventually presented nearly ninety 3D-printed relief portraits of festival visitors, including prominent figures from various fields of social and cultural life, such as Ester Ledecká, Oto Klempíř, Michael Kocáb, Michal Horáček or Radek Špicar. 

The 3D models were not merely created through scanning – Michal Gabriel and his son Martin Gabriel used the input data as a reference, according to which they digitally „sculpted“ each individual relief portrait themselves. Our team then took care of print preparation and the production itself.

Even before the arrival of the first visitor, the wall featured several portraits of historical and contemporary figures (Václav Havel, Jiří Fajt and František Skála), which were artistically styled by reducing details. Guests were thus able to discover in a playful way which great figure their newly emerging portrait would be positioned next to.

Technology in art

The actual 3D printing was handled primarily by an automated print farm Prusa Pro AFS, but also several printers Original Prusa XL a Original Prusa MK4. This process not only demonstrated the technological capabilities of Prusa printers, but also showed how technology can serve art and creativity, particularly a new artistic discipline – digital sculpture.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of our participation in Metronome Prague 2024 – our partners, the team and of course all the visitors. It was a great opportunity for us to show how modern technology can be integrated into art projects and how it can inspire the general public.

We look forward to further opportunities to showcase our innovations and collaborate on unique projects. Thank you for being part of this event!