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 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 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. Raising provocative questions for the world to consider…

To make sure we engaged as many people as possible, we invited 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, the place where Rembrandt worked and lived.

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. Wall banners showed the 4 steps process that lead to the creation of this unique artwork

This special gallery was the place where the conversation started.

Via an online launch film, featuring several experts, 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, leveraging philosophers and painters opinion on the manner.

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

- Global trending topic, reporting 10 million Twitter impressions on launch-day.

- Over 1.400 articles (and counting) were written.

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

- 1.8 billion media impressions.

- Earned media value: 12.5 milllion euros.

- On launch day Fortune Magazine reported 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%, Microsoft by 20%.

- To benefit future innovations parts of the code will be made open source.

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

Creativity is often seen as inexplicable flashes of genius. Rare and valuable.

The Next Rembrandt challenges the notion of what creativity is.

It raises questions about complex algorithms defying creative thinking. About human creativity becoming a deconstructable skill.

The Next Rembrandt takes this new notion and applies it, but not within the world of advertising. It takes the world of Fine Art as the ultimate torture test for a computer to learn how to be creative.

A leading edge change in how we look at originality, opening up a whole new territory for creativity and our industry to consider.

If you want to reimagine creativity, if you want to get the world talking about your brand’s innovative spirit, you have to go beyond existing boundaries.

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

Leaving us with a physical manifestation of ING’s innovative spirit, made out of zero’s and ones, that was unveiled and exhibited in Amsterdam to start a conversation about where data and technology can take creativity.

A launch film explaining the process of creating the painting, invited people to nextrembrandt.com to dive even deeper into the world of inspirational zero’s and ones.

A 22 minute documentary added another layer to the campaign focussing on the battle of man versus machine. Inviting even more people to the global conversation about the fading boundaries between technology and humanity.

About ING’s innovation defying imagination.

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

It has introduced many innovative solutions to provide its clients. From the introduction of fingerprint log-in, which makes banking more safe, easy and intuitive, to an in-house studio for Fintech startups and the introduction of twyp, a free app that you can use to transfer money to friends.

But ING is not the only financial institution that embraces innovation as the way forward for the brand. So how can ING apply innovation in a way that sets it apart from their competitors? It’s hard to find that level of difference within the existing banking products and services

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 challenge.