Gift for Them
MoMa Design Store Pipeline for Artwork-Product GenerationRoleConcept Development, Prototyping, AI Assisted Design
Advisor Eric Rodenbeck
Founder of Stamen Design
Lecturer in Architecture
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
TeammateYutong Wang, Harvard GSD Mdes Mediums
The project investigates how AI can translate artworks into functional products without relying on literal visual reproduction. The system uses VLM to extract structured information from artworks, including form, color, and conceptual attributes, and generates multiple product directions based on distinct translation logics. Outputs are evaluated through a rule-based framework designed to test whether a product captures the behavioral or conceptual qualities of an artwork rather than merely resembling it. To test the system in reverse, a second pipeline applies museum-style curatorial reasoning to everyday consumer products, generating speculative labels, classifications, and gallery placements to examine how artistic value is constructed.
URL
https://gift-for-them.onrender.com/
A survey of existing museum merchandise where the painting's surface gets stamped onto the product, but its meaning rarely makes the trip.