DATALAND: The World's First AI Art Museum Set to Open in Los Angeles
Where Human Imagination Meets the Creative Potential of Machines
In a groundbreaking fusion of art and technology, Refik Anadol Studio has announced the launch of DATALAND, the world’s first Museum of AI Arts. Scheduled to open in 2025 at The Grand LA—a visionary development designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry—DATALAND promises to be a revolutionary cultural institution situated in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.
A Vision Realized in Los Angeles
Co-founded by media artist Refik Anadol and artist-entrepreneur Efsun Erkılıç, DATALAND represents a culmination of their decade-long commitment to exploring the intersection of art, science, technology, and artificial intelligence. Anadol’s fascination with Los Angeles began at the age of eight after watching Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner,” a film that reimagined the city in a mesmerizing futuristic light.
“Los Angeles is the perfect city to launch DATALAND, a forward-thinking, revolutionary museum in support of the fields to which I have dedicated my career,” says Refik Anadol. “To have a permanent space for us to develop a new paradigm of what a museum can be, by fusing human imagination with machine intelligence and the most advanced technologies available, is a realization of one of my biggest dreams. To do so in a building designed by one of my heroes, Frank Gehry, is almost unbelievable.”
Erkılıç echoes this sentiment, highlighting the transformative potential of the new space. “DATALAND is a place where human creativity meets innovation, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary,” she remarks. “Our studio has presented exhibitions in incredible places all around the world, but having a space of our own gives us a blank canvas to work with, allowing us to truly push ourselves to dream without boundaries.”
A Cultural Epicenter
The Grand LA, where DATALAND will be housed, is strategically located across from the Walt Disney Concert Hall—another Gehry masterpiece where Anadol’s studio previously projected the groundbreaking “WDCH Dreams” in 2018. This proximity places DATALAND amidst Los Angeles’ most esteemed cultural institutions, including The Broad, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Music Center, and the Colburn School.
Nick Vanderboom, Chief Operating Officer of Related California, the developer behind The Grand LA, emphasizes the project’s significance: “DATALAND will inspire entirely new audiences to visit downtown LA, infusing new energy into the neighborhood and further cementing Grand Avenue as a place to see and be seen in the international arts community.”
Blurring the Lines Between Art and Technology
As the world’s first Museum of AI Arts, DATALAND aims to push the boundaries of creativity, technology, and human experience. The museum will feature immersive art experiences that blend human imagination with artificial intelligence, establishing a new model for artistic expression in the digital age.
The inaugural exhibitions will be expressed through Refik Anadol Studio’s Large Nature Model, the world’s first open-source AI model based solely on nature data. Designed in collaboration with award-winning architecture firm Gensler and global sustainable development consultancy Arup, DATALAND is poised to become a beacon for innovative art forms.
A Legacy of Innovation
Refik Anadol Studio has a rich history of producing enthralling media art installations worldwide. Their projects have been exhibited in over 70 cities across six continents, experienced by millions of ardent fans. Notable works include:
- Unsupervised at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, which attracted nearly three million visitors in one year and became the first AI-generated piece added to MoMA’s permanent collection.
- Machine Hallucinations at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
- Living Paintings at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in Los Angeles.
- Living Architecture: Casa Batlló at Antoni Gaudí’s famed building in Barcelona, Spain.
These installations challenge viewers to rethink their engagement with the physical world and explore the creative potential of machines.
Ethical and Inclusive Approach
DATALAND is committed to ethical data-gathering and AI practices. The museum will serve as a public repository for large-scale, nature-focused data sets and will build a comprehensive collection of AI art. Inclusivity and accessibility are at the forefront of its mission, welcoming people of all backgrounds to experience unparalleled art forms utilizing machine learning and the latest sensory and visualization technologies.
About Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç
Refik Anadol is an internationally renowned media artist and pioneer in the aesthetics of data and machine intelligence. Born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1985, he is the director and co-founder of Refik Anadol Studio and teaches at UCLA’s Department of Design Media Arts. His work locates creativity at the intersection of humans and machines, offering radical visualizations of our digitized memories.
Anadol’s accolades include the Lorenzo il Magnifico Lifetime Achievement Award for New Media Art, Microsoft Research’s Best Vision Award, and Google’s Artists and Machine Intelligence Artist Residency Award.
Efsun Erkılıç, born in Istanbul in 1982, is a visionary artist and cultural researcher. With extensive experience in project management, she has coordinated multidisciplinary artworks showcased at more than 70 venues worldwide. As co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Refik Anadol Studio, Erkılıç ensures the seamless blend of human-machine collaborations in every project.
Looking Forward
As anticipation builds for DATALAND’s opening in 2025, the museum is set to redefine the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and the broader art world. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and data visualization, DATALAND offers a glimpse into the future of artistic expression.
“With DATALAND, we are building a visionary museum that redefines learning and community,” says Erkılıç. “We aim to ignite the human spirit and fuel a journey into the beauty of our collective memories—the world of data.”
For More Information:
- Website: www.dataland.art
- Instagram: @datalandmuseum
- X (Twitter): @datalandmuseum
About Refik Anadol Studio
Established in 2014, Refik Anadol Studio comprises a diverse team of artists, architects, data scientists, and researchers. Embracing principles of inclusion and equity, the Los Angeles-based studio produces immersive media art intended for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Their work encourages us to rethink our engagement with the physical world and explore the temporal and spatial dimensions shaped by the creative potential of machines.