Refik Anadol

Data and pixels, algorithms and calculations – these are the elements with which Refik Anadol creates his aesthetic data sculptures packed with surprising effects and flowing forms. Anadol is a pioneer in the field of Artificial Intelligence. He explores the boundaries of the imagination and uses state-of-the-art technologies to examine the perception and experience of space and time. In his works he brings to the fore immersive environments as well as a hybrid interplay of art, science and technology. Invisible data become visible to the human eye, offering a new narrative of the digitalised world.

The Kunstpalast presents Anadol’s monumental data sculpture “Machine Hallucinations – Satellite Simulations: B” dating from 2021. For this work, the artist used two million images captured and recorded by the International Space Station (ISS) and Hubble space telescopes as well as the Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO). GAN algorithms process these images, endowing them with a new aesthetic. A GAN (Generative Adversarial Network) is a machine learning framework which is able to generate new data autonomously by means of two competing artificial neuronal networks that are capable of learning from each other.

The exhibition is curated by Alain Bieber, Head of Time-based Media at Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf.

The exhibition was made possible with the support of Art Collection Telekom and Refik Anadol Studio.