Bc. Ondřej Sakala from the Faculty of Information Technology at CTU in Prague (FIT CTU) took part in a unique project—during the ceremonial reopening of the main building of the Museum of Prague in Florenc, he presented an innovative video mapping installation using generative artificial intelligence (AI). Thanks to his tool, the museum façade changed based on text prompts and responded to visitors’ wishes.
Ondřej became involved in this opportunity through the course Creative Programming at FIT CTU, which connects students with experts from various fields.
“In this course, we have a free hand, so I could come up with anything I wanted to work on. I decided to build on the know-how from my bachelor’s thesis, StableGen, which focuses on projections in virtual environments, and transfer it into the real world,” Ondřej explains. His connection with the museum was facilitated by Vojtěch Leischner, a museum expert who lectured as part of the course.
The principle of the video mapping is similar to the StableGen project—users simply enter a prompt or provide a reference image, and the AI generates a stylized version of the building or interior. However, several technical challenges had to be addressed, such as camera calibration to ensure the projection aligned perfectly with the façade, and the development of a standalone user interface.
“Projecting in the real world is, in some ways, easier than in a virtual environment, because I don’t have to deal with blending multiple projections and maintaining their mutual consistency,” says Ondřej.
Experts from the Methodological Center for the Implementation of AI in Museums and Galleries also collaborated on the project alongside Ondřej—specifically Vojtěch Leischner and Monika Švajková. Preparations took place well in advance of the official opening, including a full rehearsal. On Thursday, the live video mapping took place during the ceremonial evening. A tent with projectors made it possible to alternate Ondřej’s projections on the façade with other visual demonstrations, such as fluid simulations based on textures from artworks in the museum’s collections. Visitors and passers-by photographed the projections and interactively influenced the visual style of the façade.
“Being part of this project means connecting technology and art and seeing my tool truly come to life in the real world,” Ondřej says.
“At our museum, we approach museology differently. In an era dominated by modern technologies, we no longer want to imprison history in display cases. We know how to bring it to life, set it in motion, and draw visitors into it,” explains the museum’s director, Ivo Macek, describing the museum’s new concept.
“I don’t yet have any further collaboration agreed upon, but I’m open to additional projects with the museum or other partners,” Ondřej concludes.
