Introducing...

The Verse-O-Matic

The Verse-O-Matic is a vintage-inspired photo booth that trades portraits for poetry. Housed in wood, metal, and glowing acrylic, it echoes the design of a 1939 World’s Fair invention. Visitors enter, sit, and press a button. A flash goes off—but instead of a photo, the machine prints an original poem based on what it “sees.” In a world of instant images, The Verse-O-Matic invites us to pause and see ourselves not as snapshots, but as stories. Blending nostalgic form with modern intelligence, it shifts technology from surveillance to reflection, making space for mystery, meaning, and metaphor.

This piece is made from sturdy 1" square tube metal frame that is attached to playa with hidden lag bolts. The unit is dressed in wood, metal and clear acrylic making it feel as if it came from the 1939 Worlds Faire.

The warm light and a sign saying "POEMS" are visible from a distance and seen from 360 degrees draws people in, giving the participant a feeling of nostalgia and futureism as they walk up.

 

The software was originally designed and open sourced by the folks over at Poetry.Camera. They have gone so far as to create a hand held version! If you're intrested in purchasing one or building one of your own on please check out their site and follow them on Instagram.

During the burn the Verse-O-Matic was placed in Center Camp Pavilion where it printed a poem on average every 3 minutes for the entirety of the event. It stood up to wind over 50mph and kept running even through the rain where a few participants used it for shelter.
There were some lessons learned as well. Because of how popular it was, it would on occassion run out of paper. I tried to keep on this by checking on and replacing the paper every hour or so.  

 

Overall I think it was a huge success being the first time I ever built and brought art to Burning Man. The peice was back in 2026 at Center Camp Pavilion again to delight people with Axis Mundi Poetry.

Also... Check out below for more info and interviews about the piece!