THE 3-MINUTE TRANSFORMATIONS
Interactive Conceptual Portrait Performance
A premium, live photographic experience designed to elevate flagship museum events, including high-end galas, exhibition openings, VIP donor nights, and late-night cultural festivals. In an intense 3-to-5-minute session, fine-art photographer Mari Saxon transforms museum patrons, corporate sponsors, and visitors into mythical, enigmatic characters in her portraits.
To achieve this otherworldly effect live, she combines physical elements like shimmering, reflective fabrics with advanced in-camera techniques, utilizing intentional camera movement and long exposures to paint with light. This immersive performance acts as a powerful public programming tool, collapsing the barrier between the audience and the artistic process. Guests don't merely watch the art happen—they become the art. Guests receive an exhibition-grade, custom digital portrait as a permanent, deeply personal artifact of the evening.
This exclusive concept has been successfully executed for premier cultural institutions, including The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Assets for Artists.
To achieve this otherworldly effect live, she combines physical elements like shimmering, reflective fabrics with advanced in-camera techniques, utilizing intentional camera movement and long exposures to paint with light. This immersive performance acts as a powerful public programming tool, collapsing the barrier between the audience and the artistic process. Guests don't merely watch the art happen—they become the art. Guests receive an exhibition-grade, custom digital portrait as a permanent, deeply personal artifact of the evening.
This exclusive concept has been successfully executed for premier cultural institutions, including The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Assets for Artists.
DETAILS
To bring the best out of this experience, we just need a few simple setups: a space of about 8’ wide x 5’ deep x 7’ high tucked into the darkest corner of your venue (ideally a windowless corner of a room or an area where external ambient light can be minimized.)
We also ask that the host provides heavy-duty backdrop stands or tubes (8'x8' or 8'x10', the black drapes are welcomed but not necessarily), access to standard power outlets, and a couple of stools for the guests. Mari will handle all the rest to transform the space into a dream-like studio.
We also ask that the host provides heavy-duty backdrop stands or tubes (8'x8' or 8'x10', the black drapes are welcomed but not necessarily), access to standard power outlets, and a couple of stools for the guests. Mari will handle all the rest to transform the space into a dream-like studio.
The venue supply one or two staff members or volunteers to manage the queue and systematically collect participant information. For public and community-facing events, this staff will also secure participant consent for social media publication and ensure proper image attribution cross-referencing the artist and the host institution.
Due to the high-intensity, bespoke nature of the process, each performance is strictly capped at a maximum of three hours (up to 30 custom portraits per hour). Ideally, with a short 15-minutes break in the middle.
Within 1 to 5 days following the event, Mari will deliver an artistically edited gallery of high-resolution digital portraits to the event's coordinators. The host institution will then easily distribute these files to the participants via email individually or as a link to downloadable folder with all portraits along with any museum branding or follow-up notes.
If your venue has a large screen available nearby, it can be set up to showcase a rotating gallery of Mari Saxon's creative portraits. Having a screen nearby is a wonderful way to keep guests entertained while they wait in line and gives everyone a beautiful preview of what to expect from their own session.
To bring this immersive experience to your next venue, please fill out the booking form to secure The 3-Minute Transformations for your event.
