MoMA Adds Refik Anadol’s ‘Unsupervised’ to Its Collection
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has made art history by acquiring the groundbreaking tokenized artwork “Unsupervised – Machine Hallucinations” by Refik Anadol, marking the institution’s first foray into the world of digital art and blockchain technology.
Anadol’s three-part masterpiece is the centerpiece of his “Unsupervised” exhibition, a venture into uncharted artistic territory where the artist harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to reinterpret more than two centuries of artistic treasures from MoMA’s expansive collection.
In crafting this unique work, Anadol employed a highly sophisticated machine-learning model to analyze and interpret the wealth of public data from MoMA’s vast collection. The result is a mesmerizing creation that combines light, movement, sound, and even climatic elements, all displayed on an expansive media wall, creating a truly immersive sensory experience.
“Unsupervised” first graced the walls of MoMA in November 2022, and due to its resounding success, the museum has decided to extend the exhibition until October 29, allowing more art enthusiasts to be captivated by Anadol’s digital marvel.
Refik Anadol took to Twitter to express his excitement, stating, “It is a historic day for our studio and digital art. Excited and honored to be on a journey with a beautiful community and grateful to the entire MoMA and our curators for pushing the boundaries of imagination in the age of machine intelligence!”
This landmark acquisition was made possible by the generous support of benefactors from RFC Collection, led by Pablo Rodríguez-Fraile and Desiree Casoni, and 1of1, headed by Ryan Zurrer.
Pablo Rodríguez-Fraile commended Anadol’s pioneering contributions to the realm of digital art, noting, “Refik Anadol’s journey in digital artistry stands as a reference of innovation and exploration. His visionary approach, coupled with an enduring dedication, marks him as a trailblazer truly deserving of leading the charge in this novel artistic frontier.”
Refik Anadol is renowned for his avant-garde media projects and public showcases. He gained international acclaim for his work “Machine Hallucinations: Sphere,” which adorned the colossal 580,000-square-foot Sphere in Las Vegas, securing its place as the world’s largest AI artwork.
MoMA’s acquisition of “Unsupervised – Machine Hallucinations” signifies the museum’s bold step into the digital art world, a convergence of traditional and digital art realms. This announcement follows closely on the heels of MoMA’s NFT Postcard collaboration, reinforcing the institution’s commitment to exploring new artistic horizons.
Editor’s note: This article was written by Jonathan Gasca in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-3.5.