I recently attended this event: Luma Event. It was AMAZING. The energy was incredible, and I fell in love with SF again because of the creativity on display.

Shoutout to @tiat.place and @grayareaorg for hosting such an inspiring event.

Here are some of the exhibits I saw:

1. Stephen Milborrow — Portrait Drawing Machine

By Nonoti Machine. The machine sketches your portrait live. You can find their next exhibit locations and get a portrait done yourself. Video demo: Instagram.

Live AI-powered portrait drawing machine sketching a visitor
Watch a live AI-powered portrait come to life.

2. Héloïse Garry — Echo Looped Mirror

See her work at Héloïse Garry and Instagram @helo.gry. This exhibit loops sounds and images in a live interactive mirror. It's mesmerizing to see and hear your actions echoed back. Video demo: Instagram.

Echo Looped Mirror reflecting movements and sounds in real time
Your movements and sounds reflected and looped in real-time.

3. Anna Zhang — Uncommon Objects

Her Instagram: Uncommon Objects. Studio: Anna Zhang Studio. Portfolio: Anna Zhang. Her work explores unique objects and their stories. Every piece challenges how we interact with everyday materials.

Anna Zhang's Uncommon Objects interactive art installation
Objects that tell stories and spark curiosity.

4. Jamie Brew — Robot Karaoke

Instagram: Jamie Brew. Robot Karaoke: robotkaraoke.live. Participants sing songs created by an algorithm mixing lyrics and datasets. Sing OKCUPID PROFILES to "I WILL SURVIVE," or StackOverflow answers to pop hits. I captured video. It was hilarious and surreal.

Robot Karaoke live performance with algorithmic mashups
Algorithmic mashups create new songs live with participants.

5. Benjamin Bolte — Kbot

See him on X. Website: ben.bolte.cc. Company in Palo Alto: K-Scale Labs. Kbot is a robotics project demonstrating innovative automation. The robots interact with their environment in surprising ways. K-Scale Labs' mission is to accelerate the timeline to a world with billions of general-purpose robots, by making them open-source and universally accessible.

K-Scale Labs Kbot open-source humanoid robot
Your first personal robot. Open source. Full stack. In your hands. Only with K-Scale Labs.

6. Daiane + Weidong — Kinetech Arts

Instagram: Kinetech Arts. Daiane: @dailopessilva. Website: kinetecharts.org. They explore movement, tech, and interactive experiences in art. Participants engage with motion sensors and live feedback.

Kinetech Arts interactive movement and technology installation
Movement and technology converge in interactive art.

Attending this event reminded me how exciting SF is for creativity, immersive experiences, and not just for AI. Every exhibit pushed boundaries, and the energy from participants was contagious.

If you're in SF, I highly recommend checking out Tiat.place events and the amazing work that Empowa and these artists are sharing.