refik anadol turns frank gehry’s forms into AI-generated landscapes at guggenheim bilbao

as part of the inaugural 'in situ' exhibition, living architecture: gehry is on view at the guggenheim museum bilbao until october 19th, 2025.

thomai tsimpou March 11, 2025 3 min

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refik anadol’s audiovisual installation at the guggenheim bilbao

Media artist Refik Anadol presents Living Architecture: Gehry, a groundbreaking audiovisual installation at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao until October 19th, 2025. As part of the inaugural ‘in situ’ exhibition, a series dedicated to site-specific installations, the work reinterprets Frank Gehry’s architectural language through artificial intelligence and generative art.

refik anadol turns frank gehry's forms into AI-generated landscapes at guggenheim bilbao - 1 — all images courtesy of Refik Anadol Studio, unless stated otherwise

customized ai model turns gehry’s forms into digital tapestry

Developed by LA-based Refik Anadol Studio, the installation utilizes the Large Architecture Model (LAM), a custom-built AI model trained over several months on a vast archive of open-access imagery, sketches, and blueprints from Frank Gehry’s works. This AI-driven system transforms the architect’s signature forms into vibrant landscapes of color, light, and movement, creating an ever-evolving digital tapestry. Augmenting the visuals, composer Kerim Karaoglu’s immersive soundscape pairs AI-generated audio and material recordings captured within the Guggenheim Bilbao museum.

refik anadol turns frank gehry's forms into AI-generated landscapes at guggenheim bilbao - 2 — the work reinterprets Frank Gehry’s architectural language | image courtesy of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

data becomes architectural imagination through six chapters

By treating data as a pigment, Refik Anadol transforms Gehry’s legacy into a living, evolving canvas with his installation, unfolding across six interconnected chapters, each representing a stage in the evolution of data into architectural imagination. From the compilation of archival materials (Data Universe) to the emergence of intricate spatial compositions (Data Plotting), the process culminates in the AI’s ability to ‘dream’ Gehry-inspired forms (Machine Hallucination and Dreams), dissolving conventional spatial constraints into fluid, speculative architectures.

Beyond its immersive experience, Living Architecture: Gehry reveals Anadol’s creative process in an adjoining gallery, where visitors can explore audiovisual displays documenting the AI learning journey. Ethically sourced data and sustainable computing practices form the backbone of the installation, underscoring a conscientious approach to the digital creation of memory and design.

refik anadol turns frank gehry's forms into AI-generated landscapes at guggenheim bilbao - 3 — part of the inaugural ‘in situ’ exhibition | image courtesy of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

refik anadol turns frank gehry's forms into AI-generated landscapes at guggenheim bilbao - 4 — the installation utilizes a custom-built AI model | image courtesy of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

refik-anadol-frank-gehry-blueprints-ai-generated-landscapes-guggenheim-bilbao-designboom-large01 — the AI model was trained on a vast archive of Frank Gehry’s works

refik anadol turns frank gehry's forms into AI-generated landscapes at guggenheim bilbao - 5 — transforming the architect’s signature forms into vibrant landscapes of color, light, and movement

refik anadol turns frank gehry's forms into AI-generated landscapes at guggenheim bilbao - 6 — Refik Anadol treats data as a pigment | image courtesy of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

refik-anadol-frank-gehry-blueprints-ai-generated-landscapes-guggenheim-bilbao-designboom-large03 — creating an ever-evolving digital tapestry

refik anadol turns frank gehry's forms into AI-generated landscapes at guggenheim bilbao - 7 — the installation unfolds across six interconnected chapters

refik anadol turns frank gehry's forms into AI-generated landscapes at guggenheim bilbao - 8 — ethically sourced data form the backbone of the installation | image courtesy of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

refik-anadol-frank-gehry-blueprints-ai-generated-landscapes-guggenheim-bilbao-designboom-large02 — the process culminates in the AI’s ability to ‘dream’ Gehry-inspired forms

project info:

name: Living Architecture: Gehry

artist: Refik Anadol Studio | @refikanadol

exhibition: in situ: Refik Anadol

venue: galleries 204 and 208 at Guggenheim Museum Bilbao | @museoguggenheim

location: Bilbao, Spain

dates: March 7 – October 19, 2025

curator: Lekha Hileman Waitoller

exhibition partner: lOFl

technology partner: Euskaltel

collaborator: Google Cloud