Machine Hallucinations: California Landscape Studies is based on a dataset of approximately 155 million of nature images collected by Refik Anadol Studio. In the first part, using StyleGAN2-ADA to capture the machine’s “hallucinations” of California landscapes and colors in a multi-dimensional space, Anadol and his team trained a unique AI model with subsets of the collected image archive. Each image in the series displays a cluster of chosen “hallucinations,” and Anadol makes selections from countless serendipitous allusions to landscape images occurring in “the machine-mind.” After the training, when idle and unsupervised, the AI generates abstracted landscapes, constructing new aesthetic visuals and color combinations based on the dataset and through unique lines drawn by algorithmic connections.

Living Paintings was Refik Anadol’s first major solo exhibition in Los Angeles at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, providing a contemplative and transparent framework of the artist’s main inspirations for turning dystopian science fictions into near-future utopian narratives, technical aspirations, and unique view of multi-sensory aesthetic experiences. Anadol’s pursuit to express a new concept of AI-based art by creating digital pigments initiated his journey from Istanbul to Los Angeles, and in turn created the grounds for this exhibition: a series of dynamic immersive experiences that offer a comprehensive look into Anadol’s decade-long art practice in LA through a California-focused thematic lens.