Lyon: citizens create giant paintings together in real time

Lockdown cannot put the brakes on creativity and collective spirit

Artists in Lyon invite citizens to join a collective creative project from their homes. The Live Drawing Project allows for anyone possessing a smart device to contribute to large paintings which are then projected onto buildings and evolve in real-time. The idea is certain to raise the spirits of the locals, who live for weeks in the conditions of social isolation, created by the coronavirus lockdown.

How to participate in the collective drawing?

Every Sunday evening, there is a new session, reuniting neighbours in Lyon around the collective drawings. Anyone willing to participate is invited to visit the Live Drawing Project website using their smart device (smartphone or tablet).

Upon doing so, they will be presented with an empty canvas on which to draw whatever they wish. Once they draw their painting, users can submit it to the collective work with a single press of a button. Their contributions will be projected instantly alongside those of the other participants.

This way, the collective piece of art evolves constantly in real-time. It appears, moves around, changes colour or disappears gradually. There is no need to install software or dispose of a projector, only a bit of imagination. However, those who own a video projector, can contact the organisers and learn how to project paintings from their windows.

The system is quite intuitive and accessible to all members of the public. What is more, the organisers are there to help, to moderate the collective work or correct and sanction any improper behaviour. The technology supports hundreds of users at the same time.

Visual dialogues take place every Sunday evening in Lyon. Photo: The Live Drawing Project

About the Drawing Project

The project was born in Lyon, France and is maintained by a team of scenographers, engineers and artists. They aim to show that drawing is a form of expression that has no boundaries. Through this project, anyone can get involved in a visual dialogue with their neighbours without risking contracting the virus.

While its origins date long before the COVID-19 crisis, we can hardly think of a better time to prove the unifying power of art, than in the moments when we are all experiencing unprecedented restrictions on our social interactions.