LO: Machine Hallucinations

In New York City, there is an immersive art museum called Artechouse. Here the museum displays various works, but the one that I saw was called “Machine Hallucinations” by Refik Anadol. His exhibit included images generated using NFT art; these images were made from various datasets of New York City and public photography. Looking at some of the pictures I could clearly tell they were cityscapes and looking closer they were made up of smaller images reminiscent of city life; others began as small, obscure parts that joined into a collective image that became recognizable. I find these works so interesting because apart from the story their primary image holds, there are also stories in their make-up. This type of art is relatively new and has been becoming more popular, with exhibits like the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit that brings motion and music to his paintings. I think this type of art gives us a new perspective on old ideas by creating similar and vaguely familiar images that force us to draw the connection between the art and the original reference. Apart from the music and lighting, the art these AI systems generate immerses us into the origins of the art by deconstructing it.

Machine Hallucinations by Refik Anadol
https://refikanadol.com/works/machine-hallucination/