347 years after his death, one of the greatest Masters of all time is brought back to life to create one more masterpiece. But this time, data is the painter and technology the brush: The Next Rembrandt.

The Next Rembrandt is a 3D printed painting made completely out of Rembrandt-data. All of his 346 paintings were analysed using hi-res 3D scans and digital files upscaled by a deep learning algorithm.

Facial recognition and machine learning software was designed to understand Rembrandt’s style and use those learnings to generate new facial features, which were assembled based on his use of geometric proportions.

Finally, a height map was created to mimic Rembrandt’s brushstrokes. The file was brought to life through an advanced 3D printer that printed 13 layers of paint based UV-ink.

The Next Rembrandt was unveiled and exhibited in Amsterdam on the 5th of April.

We started by inviting various experts from the art and tech world, the international press and the general public to the unveiling and exhibition of The Next Rembrandt in Amsterdam.

A modern art gallery was transformed into an exhibition space with big screens with the actual algorithms at work, playing behind the easel with the painting, made out of zero’s and ones.

This special gallery was the place where the conversation started.

Via a call to action at the end of the online launch film, people all over the world were invited to nextrembrandt.com, where they could dive deeper into the process of creating the digital painting.

And a 20 minute documentary added another layer to the campaign focussing on the battle of man versus machine. Inviting people to join the global conversation about where data and technology can take us.

About ING’s innovation defying imagination.

People from all over the world came to experience the unveiling and exhibition in Amsterdam. There the global conversation started.

- The Next Rembrandt was global trending topic, reporting 10 million Twitter impressions on unveiling-day.

- Over 1.400 articles (and counting) were written.

- All major news networks covered the unveiling, commenting on its meaning for future innovations.

- Globally over 1.8 billion media impressions.

- Earned media value: 12.5 milllion euro.

- On launch day Fortune Magazine reported an increase in stock value for ING (ING ^1.22%) and partner Microsoft (MSFT ^ 0.49%).

- After launch, Google reported ING’s Search Interest increased by 61.29% and Microsoft by 20%.

Next to the ongoing global conversation about the meaning for our industry and the future of creativity, there was another fundamental result: the technology developed for The Next Rembrandt is now used for the restauration of damaged and partially lost Masterpieces.

Data and creativity have been getting closer together. Data is inspiring ideas, data is becoming part of ideas. The ultimate destination of this trajectory is that data and creativity become one - data so inextricably linked with an idea that its presence is both fundamental and invisible.

The Next Rembrandt is an invitation to start a global conversation.

Taking perhaps the highest form of creativity –fine art– and demonstrating how it can be beautifully re-born with simple zeros and ones.

It raises provocative questions for our industry to consider, and even for the wider world of art to ponder too.

If you want to invite the world to talk about what data can do, you have to go beyond existing boundaries.

You have to defy imagination.

The Next Rembrandt brings back to life the Master of Shadow and Light. But this time, data is the painter and technology the brush.

We dove deep into Rembrandt’s oeuvre, analysing all of his 346 paintings on a pixel by pixel basis. Statistical and demographical data were used to determine the subject of the painting.

Facial recognition and machine learning software was designed to create the new portrait, based on the data of over 11 billion pixels.

A highly advanced 3D printer brought the digital file to life.

Via a call to action at the end of the online launch film people all over the world were invited to visit nextrembrandt.com and join the conversation about where data and technology can take us.

ING, a Dutch multinational banking group, has been building its credentials as an innovative bank.

It has introduced many innovative solutions to empower its clients. From the introduction of fingerprint log-in to the introduction of twyp, a free app that you can use to transfer money to friends.

All of these projects involved innovative technology but none of them specifically called out ING’s particular skill in data – a key characteristic of innovative companies today.

So there was an opportunity to enhance the whole marketing approach with a new data-focussed piece of work. This would add some innovative ‘rocket-fuel’ to all the previous activity.

For many years ING has been supporting Dutch art and culture - a world that’s riddled with tradition, rather than innovation – and so ‘art’ became the natural arena for this new work.