“AI is not creating in isolation. It is an extension of human imagination, trained on data shaped by our collective memory, histories, and emotions.”
“Music has always been a profound source of inspiration in my life and artistic practice. It is a universal language that transcends boundaries, evokes emotions, and creates deep connections between people and their environments.” – Refik Anadol
In February 2024 The Economist named Refik Anadol “the artist of the moment” in their article “Refik Anadol’s use of AI has made him the artist of the moment” (February 20th, 2024).
However, Refik Anadol has never stopped breaking boundaries across art, architecture, science, and technology.
In 2023, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York made history by acquiring his groundbreaking work Unsupervised – Machine Hallucinations, marking the first inclusion of a tokenized artwork in its permanent collection.
Anadol’s site-specific, audio/visual performances have been featured at iconic landmarks, museums and festivals worldwide such as the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Le Centre Pompidou, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Art Basel, Istanbul Design Biennial, Kunsthaus Zurich among many others.
Most recently, his most ambitious AI exhibition, Living Architecture: Gehry, was successfully unveiled at the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum. This marked the launch of in situ, a new series dedicated to site-specific installations that challenge the boundaries of contemporary practices.
In late 2025, he will open Dataland, the world’s first museum of AI arts and a digital ecosystem dedicated to data visualization and AI-based creativity, alongside co-founder Efsun Erkılıç.
In this interview, he talks about tokenized artworks as a new trend in the art world, his view on AI and art, his collaboration with the United Nations, his view on young generations and, of course, the importance that music has on his life and his work.
Q.: You are among pioneering artists showing how art can be changed and challenged in the course of times. Art is changing as much as the world is changing. In 2023, the MoMA acquired your work “Unsupervised – Machine Hallucinations” marking a milestone in its history, considering that this was the first inclusion of a tokenized artwork in its permanent collection. Do you see this as a real trend in the art world? Is there still a lot to do?
R.A.: The acquisition of Unsupervised – Machine Hallucinations by MoMA was indeed a milestone, not just for our work but for the evolving dialogue between art and technology. It signals a growing recognition of AI-driven and data-driven art within institutional spaces that have historically shaped our understanding of artistic movements. I do believe this is a real trend—art is, after all, a reflection of the times we live in, and we are now in an era where data, computation, and machine intelligence are integral to our daily lives. That being said, there is still much to do. The conversation is just beginning, and we need to continue exploring how AI can serve as a collaborator in expanding human creativity. Ethical data practices, inclusivity in AI training models, and a deeper engagement with the philosophical implications of machine creativity are all areas that require ongoing attention.
Q.: Given for a fact that AI belongs to art as much as paintings, photography, literature, or music belong to it, there is still a lot of skepticism/prejudice out there. Sometimes critics use the lack of feelings, the lack of human touch in works created using this new technology as an excuse. What is your answer to this critic?
R.A.: Art has always been shaped by the tools and technologies of its time. When photography first emerged, there was skepticism about its artistic merit. When digital tools entered the creative space, there was concern about authenticity. AI is no different. The idea that AI-generated art lacks human touch overlooks a fundamental truth—AI is not creating in isolation. It is an extension of human imagination, trained on data shaped by our collective memory, histories, and emotions. My approach has always been to see AI as a collaborator, a means to translate the invisible patterns of our world into new sensory experiences. Emotions are embedded in the datasets, in the curatorial decisions behind them, in the conceptual framework guiding the process. AI is not replacing human creativity; it is expanding its possibilities, allowing us to visualize and experience the world in ways previously unimaginable.
Q.: Your collaboration with the UN is a concrete example of how AI can be used in a positive and good way. “Large Nature Model: Coral” was displayed during the “Summit of the Future” back in September 2024. While talking about it you said: “I hope that ‘Large Nature Model: Coral’ inspires people to see how technology can foster deeper connections with our planet and empower us to work together toward a more sustainable world”. How important is it to you to create art with a purpose?
R.A.: Creating art with a purpose is at the core of my practice. Large Nature Model: Coral was not just an artwork—it was a statement about how technology can be harnessed to deepen our understanding of the natural world and inspire collective action. The collaboration with the UN was a profound moment for me because it demonstrated that AI-driven art can be more than just an aesthetic experience; it can serve as a bridge between data, science, and emotion. I believe that in an era where we are constantly surrounded by vast amounts of information, art has the power to make the invisible visible. Large Nature Model: Coral used AI to process scientific data on coral ecosystems, creating a visual and emotional connection to an urgent environmental issue. This kind of work is important because it shifts the conversation—moving away from fear-based narratives around AI and instead showing how it can be a tool for empathy, awareness, and positive change. More than ever, I feel a responsibility to use technology in a way that contributes to a shared, sustainable future.
Q.: The opening concert for this year’s World Economic Forum merged music, art and tech addressing glacier melt in Antarctica, aligning with the United Nations declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation. What role does music play in your life and in your production?
R.A.: Music has always been a profound source of inspiration in my life and artistic practice. It is a universal language that transcends boundaries, evokes emotions, and creates deep connections between people and their environments. In our work, we often explore the relationship between sound and visual form. The opening concert for the World Economic Forum, which merged music, art, and technology to address glacier melt in Antarctica, was a perfect example of how these mediums can come together to create impactful storytelling. Sound has a unique ability to make data more visceral—when we translate environmental changes into sound waves or visual experiences, we create a more immediate emotional response. For me, the intersection of these disciplines was an opportunity to push the boundaries of perception, to make global issues more tangible, and to inspire action through sensory engagement.
Q.: Nature plays an important role for your artwork. In general, we tend to underestimate the power and importance of nature and of ecosystems in our life, but through your work “Large Nature Model: Living Art” you are also building a legacy for generations to come, showing what we can do to our planet while raising awareness on what to avoid if we want to live in a better world. What is your view on young generations? Do you think they have a better understanding on what to do for shaping a sustainable future?
R.A.: Nature is one of the most essential sources of knowledge and inspiration for my work. With Large Nature Model, our goal is not only to visualize the beauty of natural ecosystems but also to create a lasting archive that allows us to reflect on what is at stake. AI-driven art has the power to preserve, to educate, and to inspire collective responsibility, and I see this project as a way to contribute to the broader discourse on environmental awareness and sustainability. I am deeply optimistic about younger generations. They are growing up in a time where climate change and ecological challenges are no longer distant concerns but urgent realities. What sets them apart is their fluency in digital and technological tools, their ability to mobilize through global networks, and their willingness to challenge outdated systems. I believe they have an intuitive understanding that sustainability is not an abstract concept but an everyday practice. Through my work, I hope to provide tools for reflection, but ultimately, it is their creativity, resilience, and action that will shape the future of our planet.
