The project involves the creation of 100 canvases (extendeed version 200), representing historical figures from the 20th century and the purpose of the way to expose them. The portraits of the ghosts are painted in black and white with a transparent style over a colored base. The author has selected 100 men and 100 women who have left their mark on the 20th century and have since passed away, based on what they represent (extendeed version 100 women and 100 men). The dimensions range from 40 x 40 cm to 200 x 150 cm with different sizes. The idea is that all the images will be animated through AR technology, so that through a specific app, viewers can scan the paintings and all of them will be animated and trough AI tecnology the public can talk and intercat with them. The project also aims to have an exhibition where the original paintings can be viewed, and so viewers could immerse themselves in a chronological journey through the past century. Below is the complete list of the one hundred figures divided by decade and gender. The division into decades is indicative of the historical period in which the characters contributed to shaping the history of the 1900s. Of course, in the presentation, each character will be accompanied by a brief biographical text.
1 The Ghosts
In “The Golden Year of the Ghosts,” each of the 200 portraits in this series captures the essence of an extraordinary individual at the pinnacle of their life—a moment when they reached their personal zenith. These portraits are not just mere depictions; they are anchored in a specific year, chosen as the “golden year” of each figure, when their influence, achievements, or impact on the world were at their highest.
The year selected for each individual represents a time when their spirit shone brightest, whether through a groundbreaking discovery, an iconic performance, or a defining act of courage. These “golden years” encapsulate the moments that immortalized these figures, ensuring their legacies endure far beyond their lifetimes.
Through this series, we invite you to step into the world of these 200 ghosts, to witness the years when they etched their names into history. Each portrait is a celebration of human potential, frozen in time at the moment of greatest brilliance.
| Ghosts Numbered | Men | Women |
1 | 1900 – Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) | 1901 – Akiko Yosano (1878-1942) |
| 2 | 1900 – Max Planck (1858 – 1947) | 1902 – Alma Mahler Schindler (1879 – 1964) |
| 3 | 1901 – Theodore Roosevelt (1858 – 1919) | 1903 – Emmeline Pankhurst (1858 – 1928) |
| 4 | 1901 – Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) | 1903 – Marie Curie (1867-1934) |
| 5 | 1901 – Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943) | 1906 – Hilma Af Klint (1862 – 1944) |
| 6 | 1907 – Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) | 1907 – Lise Meitner (1878 – 1968) |
| 7 | 1908 – Henry Ford (1863 – 1947) | 1908 Helena Rubinstein (1872 – 1965) |
| 8 | 1909 – Matthew Henson (1866 – 1955) | 1909 – Beatrice Webb (1858 – 1943) |
| 9 | 1909 – Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) | 1913 – Emily Davison (1872-1913) |
| 10 | 1913 – Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) | 1913 – Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962) |
| 11 | 1915 – Albert Einstein (1879-1955) | 1917 – Mata Hari (1876-1917) |
| 12 | 1915 – Franz Kafka (1883-1924) | 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) |
| 13 | 1917 – Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) | 1919 – Gertrude Bell (1868-1926) |
| 14 | 1919 – Walter Gropius (1883-1969) | 1920 – Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) |
| 15 | 1924 – Man Ray (1890-1976) | 1922 – Alice Milliat (1884-1957) |
| 16 | 1925 – Sergei Eisenstein (1879-1955) | 1925 – Josephine Baker (1906-1975) |
| 17 | 1927 – Fritz Lang (1890-1976) | 1925 – Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) |
| 18 | 1928 – Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) | 1925 – Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) |
| 19 | 1928 – Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) | 1925 – Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980) |
| 20 | 1931 – Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) | 1926 – Coco Chanel (1883-1971) |
| 21 | 1932 – Aldous Leonard Huxley (1894-1963) | 1926 – Zitkála Sá (1876 – 1938) |
| 22 | 1934 – Diego Rivera (1886-1957) | 1929 – Pan Yuliang(1895-1977) |
| 23 | 1936 – Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) | 1929 – Louise Brooks (1906-1985) |
| 24 | 1936 – Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) | 1929 – Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) |
| 25 | 1936 – Jesse Owens (1913-1980) | 1930 – Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) |
| 26 | 1937 – Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) | 1930 – Greta Garbo (1905-1990) |
| 27 | 1941 – Orson Welles (1915-1985) | 1931 – Gala Dalí (1894-1982) |
| 28 | 1942 – Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) | 1932 – Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) |
| 29 | 1942 – Albert Camus (1913-1960) | 1933 – Mae West (1893-1980) |
| 30 | 1943 – Frank Sinatra (1915 – 1998) | 1934 – Leni Riefenstahl (1902-2003) |
| 31 | 1944 – Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) | 1936 – Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) |
| 32 | 1944 – Julius Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967) | 1936 – Halet Çambel (1916-2014) |
| 33 | 1944 – Robert Capa (1913-1954) | 1938 – Simone Weil (1909-1943) |
| 34 | 1945 – Winston Churchill (1874-1965) | 1938 – Lois Mailou Jones (1905 – 1998) |
| 35 | 1945 – Howard Walter Florey (1898-1968) | 1939 – Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) |
| 36 | 1945 – Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) | 1939 – Billie Holiday (1915-1959) |
| 37 | 1945 – Alan Turing (1912-1954) | 1939 – Augusta Savage (1892 – 1962) |
| 38 | 1946 – Juan Domingo Perón (1895 – 1974) | 1940 – Carson McCullers (1917-1967) |
| 39 | 1946 – Enzo Ferrari (1898 – 1988) | 1940 – Anna May Wong (1905-1961) |
| 40 | 1947 – Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) | 1942 – Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979) |
| 41 | 1947 – Gerard Sekoto (1913-1993) | 1942 – Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982) |
| 42 | 1949 – Mao Zedong (1893-1976) | 1942 – Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000) |
| 43 | 1949 – Xu Beihong (1895-1953) | 1943 – Irena Sendler (1910-2008) |
| 44 | 1949 – George Orwell (1903-1950) | 1945 – Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) |
| 45 | 1952 – Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) | 1945 – Lee Miller (1907-1977) |
| 46 | 1953 – Juan Manuel Fangio (1911 – 1995) | 1946 – Edith Piaf (1915-1963) |
| 47 | 1954 – Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) | 1947 – Eva Perón (1919-1952) |
| 48 | 1955 – James Dean (1931-1955) | 1948 – Alicia Alonso (1920-2019) |
| 49 | 1956 – Duke Ellington (1899-1974) | 1949 – Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) |
| 50 | 1956 – Elvis Presley (1935-1977) | 1950 – Dolores Ibárruri (1895-1989) |
| 51 | 1957 – John Coltrane (1926-1967) | 1950 – Alma Reville (1899-1982) |
| 52 | 1957 – Timothy Leary (1920-1996) | 1951 – Olga Ladyzhenskaya (1922-2004) |
| 53 | 1958 – Chinua Achebe (1930 – 2013) | 1952 – Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) |
| 54 | 1959 – Fidel Castro (1926 – 2016) | 1953 – Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) |
| 55 | 1960 – Ray Charles (1930-2004) | 1954 – Maria Callas (1923-1977) |
| 56 | 1960 – Federico Fellini (1920-1993) | 1955 – Grace Kelly (1929-1982) |
| 57 | 1961 – Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) | 1955 – Romy Schneider (1938-1982) |
| 58 | 1962 – Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999) | 1955 – Anna Magnani (1908-1973) |
| 59 | 1962 – John F. Kennedy (1917- 1963) | 1956 – Brigitte Bardot (1934 -2025) |
| 60 | 1963 – Martin Luther King Jr. (1917-1963) | 1956 – Chien-Shiung Wu (1912-1997) |
| 61 | 1964 – Salvador Allende (1908-1973) | 1958 – Mary Jackson (1921-2005) |
| 62 | 1964 – Malcolm X (1925-1965) | 1960 – Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916-2000) |
| 63 | 1964 – Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) | 1961 – Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) |
| 64 | 1964 – Ernesto Che Guevara (1928-1967) | 1961 – Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) |
| 65 | 1965 – Richard Feynman (1918-1988) | 1961 – Maya Plisetskaya (1925-2015) |
| 66 | 1966 – Huey Percy Newton (1942-1989) | 1962 – Rachel Carson (1907-1964) |
| 67 | 1967 – Jim Morrison (1943-1971) | 1962 – Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) |
| 68 | 1967 – Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) | 1963 – Miriam Makeba (1932- 2008) |
| 69 | 1968 – Steve McQueen (1930-1980) | 1965 – Nina Simone (1933-2003) |
| 70 | 1968 – Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) | 1965 – Hibari Misora (1937-1989) |
| 71 | 1969 – Miles Davis (1926-1991) | 1967 – Umm Kulthum (1904-1975) |
| 72 | 1970 – Edson Arantes do Nascimento “Pelé” (1940 – 2022) | 1967 – Diane Arbus (1923-1971) |
| 73 | 1971 – Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) | 1967 – Evelyn Scott (1935 – 2017) |
| 74 | 1971 – John Lennon (1940-1980) | 1968 – Lina Bo Bardi (1914 – 1992) |
| 75 | 1972 – Marlon Brando (1924-2004) | 1968 – Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) |
| 76 | 1972 – David Bowie (1947-2016) | 1969 – Annie Easley (1933-2011) |
| 77 | 1973 – Bruce Lee (1940-1973) | 1969 – Janis Joplin (1943-1970) |
| 78 | 1974 – Henry Kissinger (1923 – 2023) | 1971 – Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) |
| 79 | 1975 – Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975) | 1972 – Nawal El Saadawi (1931-2021) |
| 80 | 1976 – Fela Kuti (1938-1997) | 1975 – Junko Tabei (1939 – 2016) |
| 81 | 1977 – Bob Marley (1945-1981) | 1979 – Donna Summer (1948-2012) |
| 82 | 1977 – Marvin Gaye (1939-1984) | 1980 – Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987) |
| 83 | 1981 – Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) | 1982 – Margaret Thatcher (1925 – 2013) |
| 84 | 1982 – Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) | 1982 – Mercedes Sosa (1935-2009) |
| 85 | 1983 – Michael Jackson (1958-2009) | 1983 – Phoolan Devi (1963-2001) |
| 86 | 1983 – Luc Montagnier (1932 – 2022) | 1983 – Barbara McClintock (1902-1992) |
| 87 | 1984 – Steve Jobs (1955-2011) | 1985 – Wilma Mankiller (1945 – 2010) |
| 88 | 1984 – Thomas Sankara (1949-1987) | 1986 – Letizia Battaglia (1935-2020) |
| 89 | 1985 – Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) – 1985 | 1986 – Rita Levi-Montalcini (1909-2012) |
| 90 | 1986 – Ennio Morricone (1928-2020) | 1987 – Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) |
| 91 | 1986 – Diego Armando Maradona (1960-2020) | 1988 – Yelena Shushunova (1969 – 2018) |
| 92 | 1987 – Bernardo Bertolucci (1941-2018) | 1988 – Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007) |
| 93 | 1988 – Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) | 1990 – Wangari Maathai (1940-2011) |
| 94 | 1990 – Trevor Nickolls (1949-2012) | 1992 – Whitney Houston (1963-2012) |
| 95 | 1990 – Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007) | 1993 – Toni Morrison (1931-2019) |
| 96 | 1991 – Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) | 1993 – Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) |
| 97 | 1994 – Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) | 1993 – Margherita Hack (1922-2013) |
| 98 | 1994 – Carl Sagan (1934-1996) | 1995 – Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (1971-1995) |
| 99 | 1996 – Tupac Shakur (1971-1996) | 1996 – Wisława Szymborska (1923-2012) |
| 100 | 1999 – Sebastião Salgado (1944 – 2025) | 1997 – Diana Spencer (1961-1997) |
2 Statistical Distribution of the 200 “Ghosts” by Sector
2.1. Analysis of Balance: A Coherent Portrait of a Century
The list achieves a sophisticated, multi-layered equilibrium that is the result of deliberate curation.
This distribution is now crisp, confident, and tells a clear story. It’s the data-driven backbone of the exhibition.
- It Declares a Hierarchy: The 20th century, according to this project, was shaped in this order: Power (20.5%), followed closely by Culture (Visual Arts + Music + Film = 44,5%). Science & Reason (25.5%) was the driving force, and Heroism/Action (Sports+Exploration+Activism = 9.5%) provided its icons.
- It Makes Tough Choices: Complex figures have been thoughtfully placed where their most enduring legacy lies.
- It’s Defensible: This isn’t a random list. It’s a curated argument. The 50/50 gender split is its boldest claim, and this sector breakdown explains the “what” and “why” of the selection.
- It Guides the Experience: This structure can directly inform the exhibition layout, app content, and educational materials. Each “pillar” and “counterweight” becomes a thematic cluster in the labyrinth.
2.1.2. Foundational Gender Balance
100 Women / 100 Men. This 50/50 split is the project’s most powerful conceptual statement. It visually rewrites the canonical historical record, insisting on the equal weight of female contributions—a rare and radical act of curation at this scale.
2.1.3. Chronological Balance
By assigning each figure a “Golden Year,” we ensure that every decade of the century is represented by its defining spirits, creating a visual and narrative journey through the evolution of styles, conflicts, and ideas from 1900 to 1999.
2.2. Conclusion: The Blueprint of a Century
The project is not merely “balanced.” It is architected.
The statistics reveal a clear hierarchy: the century was primarily shaped by Culture and Power, driven by Reason, and inhabited by new kinds of Heroes. This balance transforms a list of 200 names into a coherent, powerful thesis on the 20th century, making it a solid foundation for the immersive artistic experience I have envisioned.
3 The App
The goal of the app is to offer viewers a digital extension of Fesma and Aelis works. By animating each painting into a video format, it creates a new experience in the way art is exhibited. From a commercial perspective, the app will include an online store that will allow for on-demand purchasing of products derived from the 200 artworks, as well as the ability to buy tickets for attending the exhibitions. The estimated development time for the complete development of this app is about six months.
Integration of AI Chatbot in the Project
3.1.1. Advanced Interactivity with AI Chatbot
-Immersive Experience: In addition to VR technology, the app will be enhanced with an advanced AI chatbot designed to interact with the audience in a natural and engaging way. Users will be able to ask questions about the artists, the artworks, and the historical context represented in the paintings, receiving detailed and immediate responses.
– Personalized Assistance: The AI chatbot will offer personalized assistance during the virtual visit, suggesting thematic paths, deeper insights into specific historical periods or figures, and guiding the user through the experience interactively.
– Dynamic Interaction: The integration of the AI chatbot will create a dynamic relationship between the art and the visitor, making the experience not only visual but also cognitive and educational, thereby enriching the understanding and appreciation of the exhibited works.
3.1.2. Advanced Technological Development
– Complete Integration: The app will be developed with a technological infrastructure that seamlessly integrates VR functionalities with artificial intelligence. This will ensure a smooth and immersive user experience where AR animations and AI interactions coexist harmoniously.
– Multifunctional App: The app will not only offer a window into the augmented reality of the artworks but will also serve as a digital assistant for visitors, helping to resolve doubts, providing additional information, and personalizing the experience according to user preferences.
3.1.3. Future Objectives
– Expansion of Interactive Capabilities: With the addition of the AI chatbot, the project aims to transform the way people interact with art, taking the experience to a higher level. The chatbot will not just be an informative tool but a companion during the exploration of the exhibitions.
– Continuous Innovation: This development represents only the beginning of a continuous innovation journey, where technology is central to enhancing the user experience and creating a deeper connection between art and the public.
4 The Spaces
In line with the need to create an immersive experience, Alessandro, our architect, has chosen to design a circular spiral labyrinth that functions as a large time machine. The space, divided into ten decades, will also be furnished with elements and colors that evoke the different eras. A grand initial portal will open the public’s journey through time. The space includes 129 meters (424 feet) of linear panels, of which approximately 258 meters (846’ feet) are for the exhibition of the paintings. The selected panels are 2.5 x 1 meters (8,20 x 3,28 feet) and each one is equipped with alarms. The ideal mounting space for this structure is in a 25 x 20 meters (85’x66’ feet) room. Here you can observe the ideal floor plan of the exhibition.
5 The Team
Fesma – Filippo Esmaily – Artist and project creator
Aelis – Alisa Primakova – Co-Artist and producer
Alessandro Scarabotti – Architect and space conceptual designer
6 Paintings Gallery
In the following images you can see some paintings already done for this project.
7 Conclusion: Our proposal
We have presented the Ghosts from the XX Century project: a monumental artistic endeavor and a revolutionary immersive experience. This is more than an exhibition; it is a chronological labyrinth, a time machine built from 200 portraits, designed to guide the public through the defining spirits of the past century. Each portrait, capturing a figure at their “Golden Year,” is a gateway, animated through Augmented Reality and made conversational through Artificial Intelligence.
This project is ready to move from vision to reality. The artistic vision is defined, the architectural plan for a spiral journey through the decades is drafted, and the technology to bring these ghosts to life is within reach. The 30/60-day touring exhibition plan provides a clear roadmap for national and, ultimately, global impact.
We are not just seeking funding; we are seeking partners. We invite institutions, galleries, technology firms, and visionary sponsors to join us in this unique venture. Partnering with Ghosts from the XX Century means more than underwriting an art show. It means:
- Championing a New Educational Paradigm: Supporting a project where art, history, and cutting-edge technology merge to create profound public engagement.
- Connecting with a Universal Narrative: Aligning your brand with a project that celebrates human achievement in all its forms—scientific, artistic, political, and cultural—across a balanced and diverse spectrum of 100 women and 100 men.
- Activating a Tangible Experience: Enabling the creation of a physical and digital destination that will draw audiences, generate media attention, and create lasting cultural value.
The century’s most influential minds await their curtain call. We have prepared the stage. We now need partners to help us turn on the lights and let the conversation begin.
Join us. Let’s build this time machine together.