Refik Anadol’s Machine Hallucinations on the Las Vegas Sphere in 2023
IMAGE BRIAN FRIEDMANARTS
Like many children, Refik Anadol was a sci-fi fan. Blade Runner (1982), in particular, consumed his imagination and sparked his interest in tech. Unlike many fans of the genre, though, he didn’t see the stories solely as warnings of a dystopian future but rather the possibility of utopia.
“I started to see the beauty and the possibilities, hope and inspiration, instead of the darkness and all that doomsday violence” in the films, the renowned digital artist says. “I mean [the darkness] exists—I’m not trying to ignore it—but in the bigger picture, the world of utopia is way more creatively inspiring and challenging than that of dystopia.”
Digital media artist Refik Anadol
Anadol’s optimistic outlook is prominent in a world that equally embraces AI and is sceptical of it. His generative AI work channels his passion and enthusiasm, and is characterised by wonder, colour and
