The Theater Machine: An Interactive Generative-AI-Based Installation for Participatory Cultural Mediation

Nils Martin Gallist; Jürgen Hagler; Celine Thuy Tien Pham; Jolanda Abasolo

The Theater Machine: An Interactive Generative-AI-Based Installation for Participatory Cultural Mediation

Nils Martin Gallist
, Jürgen Hagler
, Celine Thuy Tien Pham
, Jolanda Abasolo

Digital Media Lab

Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review

Abstract

The cooperative project The Theater Machine develops an interactive, AI-based installation for the foyer of a theater. It aims to lower barriers to performing arts by enabling participatory engagement with theatrical content. Users interact via camera and touchscreen, being integrated in real time into dynamically generated theater scenes. The system operates locally, using a high-performance workstation running a generative model based on Adversarial Diffusion Distillation within a high-throughput StreamDiffusion pipeline. This paper outlines the conceptual framework, system architecture, interaction design, and sustainability model.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 15 Dec 2025

Cite this

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title = "The Theater Machine: An Interactive Generative-AI-Based Installation for Participatory Cultural Mediation",

abstract = "The cooperative project The Theater Machine develops an interactive, AI-based installation for the foyer of a theater. It aims to lower barriers to performing arts by enabling participatory engagement with theatrical content. Users interact via camera and touchscreen, being integrated in real time into dynamically generated theater scenes. The system operates locally, using a high-performance workstation running a generative model based on Adversarial Diffusion Distillation within a high-throughput StreamDiffusion pipeline. This paper outlines the conceptual framework, system architecture, interaction design, and sustainability model.",

keywords = "AI Art, Realtime, Exhibition, Theater",

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N2 - The cooperative project The Theater Machine develops an interactive, AI-based installation for the foyer of a theater. It aims to lower barriers to performing arts by enabling participatory engagement with theatrical content. Users interact via camera and touchscreen, being integrated in real time into dynamically generated theater scenes. The system operates locally, using a high-performance workstation running a generative model based on Adversarial Diffusion Distillation within a high-throughput StreamDiffusion pipeline. This paper outlines the conceptual framework, system architecture, interaction design, and sustainability model.

AB - The cooperative project The Theater Machine develops an interactive, AI-based installation for the foyer of a theater. It aims to lower barriers to performing arts by enabling participatory engagement with theatrical content. Users interact via camera and touchscreen, being integrated in real time into dynamically generated theater scenes. The system operates locally, using a high-performance workstation running a generative model based on Adversarial Diffusion Distillation within a high-throughput StreamDiffusion pipeline. This paper outlines the conceptual framework, system architecture, interaction design, and sustainability model.

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KW - Realtime

KW - Exhibition

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