Big Technology at BigRock in Italy

A close look at how Italy's BigRock Institute of Magical Technologies leverages ASUS ProArt hardware and AI tools to elevate digital arts education and empower the next generation of creatives.

As regular readers know, we occasionally work with ASUS to document some of the organisations that are using its kit to enhance their creativity and productivity. Recently, this took us to Italy and the wonderfully named BigRock Institute of Magical Technologies, the digital arts school of the H-FARM campus located near Venice.

Since its founding in 2005, BigRock has trained thousands of aspiring artists, designers, developers, and creators in fields ranging from animation and visual effects to video game development and UX design. Recognized and certified by The Rookies, BigRock ranks among the Top 50 Creative Schools worldwide and is the only Italian institution on the list. The school embraces transformation, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence and real-time graphics, preparing students for the rapidly evolving digital industries.

A high performance creative stack

BigRock tends to push its tools hard. For example, the school doesn't just use AI, it develops its own local models and integrates them into the curriculum. This requires a flexible, robust hardware platform with stability, speed, and graphical muscle.

That's meant the use of some high-profile ASUS kit, notably the DRAKO Creator PC - Powered by ASUS, the ProArt PA32UCR 4K HDR display, and the MuseTree AI-powered image generation software.

Featuring a ProArt RTX 4080 Super graphics card supported by a ProArt B760 Creator WiFi motherboard and ProArt chassis, the DRAKO Creator PC configuration ensures maximum stability for demanding tasks, particularly when paired with the MuseTree AI software. The ProArt RTX 4080 Super graphics card, with 16GB of VRAM, is critical for handling real-time image generation and high-performance AI workflows within MuseTree. This software is designed for intuitive, high-speed image generation, opening up new ways to explore and develop visual ideas.

“As an R&D team, we’re focused on building new ways to introduce AI tools into school programs. Tools like MuseTree are opening up entirely new ways to explore and develop visual ideas, but having the right hardware is essential,” explains Alberto Botter from the BigRock R&D team. "Whether I’m sketching in Idea Canvas or combining concepts in the Idea Map, everything is fast and responsive. It arrived at exactly the right moment."

Meanwhile, in the creative studio, BigRock installed the ProArt PA32UCR-K. This display is critical for accurate color and detail, ensuring perfect contrast, brightness, and 10-bit color, essential for video game development and cinematic trailer editing. The monitor also has full HDR support, which is crucial for accurately displaying the high level of detail in environments and skies when working with Unreal Engine.

“The PA32UCR-K is stunning,” says Pedro Rojo, one of the school's developers and teachers. "Its 4K mini-LED panel, deep contrast, and 10-bit color accuracy give us total confidence in what we see, essential for Unreal Engine work where precision makes or breaks the final result."

Truly Magical Technologies

Thanks to the integration of ASUS ProArt hardware and MuseTree AI, BigRock has transformed its classroom into the sort of state-of-the-art creative laboratory that helps to reinforce its name as an Institute of Magical Technologies. 

Students now experience firsthand the kind of workflows used in modern design studios and production companies, giving them a competitive edge before even taking their first steps in entering the industry. 

“At BigRock, we believe that future creatives need access to the same cutting-edge tools used by top studios," concludes Botter. "With ASUS ProArt hardware and AI tools like MuseTree, we’re not just teaching, we’re empowering students to explore, create, and innovate at the highest level. This partnership ensures our school stays ahead of the curve, ready for whatever the future of digital arts demands."