bloomberg connects app enriches refik anadol’s serpentine exhibition with exclusive content

with bloomberg connects, users can expect to engage with the exhibition through exclusive video and audio content, whether visiting online or on-site.

eirini ilia March 4, 2024 6 min

A Glimpse into refik Anadol’s Vision with bloomberg connects

In the heart of London, Serpentine proudly presents ‘Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive,’ a mesmerizing exhibition by the globally acclaimed artist, technologist, and pioneer in artificial intelligence arts, Refik Anadol. On view at Serpentine North until April 7, 2024, the showcase invites art and tech enthusiasts alike to go on a journey that blends artificial intelligence, nature, and the boundless possibilities of digital art. The experience is enriched thanks to the fully-engaging expert-curated content of the free arts and culture app, Bloomberg Connects, offering a complete guide with exclusive video and audio material. Explore the immersive exhibition via the Bloomberg Connects Serpentine Guide for free – download here!

To experience the exhibition in person, join Serpentine and Bloomberg Connects for a special late night view of Refik Anadol: Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive on 20 March – RSVP here.

bloomberg connects app enriches refik anadol's serpentine exhibition with exclusive content - 1 — (above) Bloomberg Connects enriches Refik Anadol’s ‘Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive,’ with exclusive video and audio material

(banner) Refik Anadol, Artificial Realities: Coral, 2023. Courtesy Refik Anadol Studios

the passport to culture

Bloomberg Connects, created by Bloomberg Philanthropies, is a passport to culture, offering users access to collections from botanical gardens, historic sites, performance venues, libraries, outdoor sculpture parks and world-class museums – all in one free app. Until April 7, 2024, the free arts and culture platform offers visitors the opportunity to engage with Refik Anadol’s ‘Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive’ Serpentine exhibition, who introduces visitors to a convergence of the natural and digital realms. His solo exhibition serves as a testament to the transformative power of AI in art through an exploration of underwater landscapes and rainforests, translated through generative environments.

bloomberg connects app enriches refik anadol's serpentine exhibition with exclusive content - 2 — Refik Anadol presents his largest institutional solo exhibition in the UK, featuring new and recent works | photo by Hugo Glendinning, courtesy of Refik Anadol Studio and Serpentine

Serpentine North’s exclusive presentation includes the UK debut of ‘Living Archive: Large Nature Model,’ a specially commissioned installation. The unique artwork envelops the gallery space with AI-generated images inspired by data sourced from flora, fungi, and fauna spanning over 16 rainforest locations worldwide, utilizing advanced technologies like LiDAR and photogrammetry. At the intersection of visual art, science, and technology, the artist also introduces ‘Artificial Realities: Coral,’ a multimedia sound and video experience highlighting the vital role of coral reefs in the ocean ecosystem. For this artwork, Refik Anadol Studio trained a unique AI model with approximately 135 million images of corals openly accessible online.

bloomberg connects app enriches refik anadol's serpentine exhibition with exclusive content - 3 — Refik Anadol, Artificial Realities: Coral, 2023. Courtesy Refik Anadol Studios

The whole gallery transforms into the AI model’s interpretation of a rainforest. It is the first installation in a growing body of work that is created employing The Large Nature Model, the world’s first open- source generative AI model dedicated to nature. For this ongoing research, the artist worked with the data of major institutions, including the Smithsonian Institution and London’s Natural History Museum. As additional data partners, like universities, museums, foundations, government entities and libraries join the effort, the model, centered around archival images of rainforests, will expand over the coming years.

bloomberg connects app enriches refik anadol's serpentine exhibition with exclusive content - 4 — visitors can wander through the mesmerizing artworks at Serpentine North | full credit: Refik Anadol, Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive, 2024. Installation view, Serpentine North, photo by Hugo Glendinning, courtesy Refik Anadol Studio and Serpentine

Integral to the exhibition is ‘Bloomberg Connects’ Serpentine Guide, available as a hands-free audio or visual guide. The app makes the gallery experience as interactive as it is mesmerizing – not only for those visiting in person, but to anyone around the world. The free digital companion also provides exclusive access to a fascinating interview with Refik Anadol conducted by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of Serpentine. The artist talks about the role that AI plays as a collaborator in his artistic practice, posing the question of how we can use AI to represent the intricate forms of coral ecosystems, and reconstruct what we’ve lost.‘The dream is to help gallery visitors grasp the unseen yet incredible role of data in our worlds […] This project is not about mimicking or replacing nature, it’s about appreciating, loving and respecting nature,’ remarks Anadol.