204.ai

Based in Lisbon, 204.ai describes itself as an interactive design studio where artistic research and advanced computation converge. The team builds large-scale visuals, responsive environments, and AI-driven content that bridges the visual and physical worlds, transforming spaces into participatory experiences rather than static displays. Its installations are designed to trigger emotional responses through light, sound, and motion, while integrating real-time inputs from audiences, performers, or the surrounding environment.

The studio works with artists, festivals, brands, and institutions that want to experiment with generative arts and emerging interfaces. By combining creative direction with bespoke software, hardware, and AI pipelines, 204.ai aims to “create magic” across both temporary and permanent installations.

History and Background

204.ai was founded by creative technologist Dimitri De Jonghe, whose background spans micro-electronics, machine learning, and over a decade in blockchain and decentralized data systems. Before launching 204.ai, De Jonghe co-founded and helped architect projects such as Ocean Protocol, BigchainDB, and other Web3 initiatives focused on data sovereignty and on-chain intellectual property.

204.ai represents a shift from purely protocol-level innovation toward experiential work that makes concepts like decentralized AI and data ownership tangible for wider audiences. The studio also collaborates with the broader ecosystem around Temple Technology, a sovereign AI collective profiled in the CryptoSlate Directory, reflecting shared interests in on-chain infrastructure and creative tooling.

Technology and Creative Approach

204.ai’s methodology combines a structured design process with ongoing research it refers to as a Research & Arts (RnA) approach, highlighted in its CryptoSlate company profile. The studio typically moves from collaborative ideation and design thinking into technical research, prototyping, installation design, and on-site operation. Projects often incorporate generative models, real-time rendering engines, sensor arrays, and experimental interfaces such as brain-computer interaction or bio-signal triggers.

The team emphasizes four recurring design principles: familiarity, novelty, agency, and synesthesia. Familiarity anchors the experience in recognizable forms or personalisation; novelty introduces unexpected visual or behavioral twists; agency allows participants to influence outcomes with minimal friction; and synesthesia aims to blend multiple senses into a coherent emotional impression.

Use Cases and Market Position

204.ai’s work appears in festivals, galleries, commercial events, and experimental labs. Use cases range from large-scale outdoor projections and immersive forest or beach installations to indoor “temples of technology” that function as contemplative spaces. For brands, the studio offers a way to stand out in crowded experiential marketing landscapes by embedding campaigns into interactive art rather than traditional static signage.

Within the broader crypto and Web3 ecosystem, 204.ai sits adjacent to decentralized AI and on-chain IP initiatives rather than issuing its own token or protocol. Its relevance lies in demonstrating how AI, blockchain-aligned ideas about data ownership, and creative tooling can translate into concrete experiences for audiences who may not be familiar with underlying infrastructure. This makes the studio a useful reference point for projects seeking to communicate complex technical narratives through art.

Team, Network, and Ecosystem Links

The studio is led by a multidisciplinary core team that includes creative technology, art direction, production, and AI-focused roles. Founder and CTO Dimitri De Jonghe brings experience across Web3, AI, and systems engineering, while co-founders and collaborators contribute backgrounds in visual arts, design, and event production. The team operates from a studio space in Lisbon but collaborates with a global network of artists, developers, and festivals.

204.ai’s work and philosophy were explored in detail in the CryptoSlate SlateCast episode “Exploring decentralized AI and artistic innovation with Dimitri de Jong of 204.ai,” which situates the studio within ongoing debates about open AI, public digital infrastructure, and the cultural implications of generative technologies. As AI and decentralized data systems continue to evolve, 204.ai’s installations offer a visible, experiential layer on top of these deeper technological shifts.