Astrophysicist Carl Sagan once said, Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it, we go nowhere in an episode of his TV show "Cosmos" in 1980. Some 40 years after this statement, media artist Refik Anadol draws attention to the inevitability of imagining by creating poetic metaphors with unseen space data for the sake of public art in his Machine Memoirs: Space in Istanbuls Pilevneli Gallery. Lets discover Anadols imaginative world that was reflected in this exhibition and captured the attention of Istanbulites by also getting the lowdown on media arts.
The media arts are described through many diverse approaches in the literature. Some describe the media arts through the technology that is used to create them whereas some focus on the functions of the artwork. In a simple, general description, media arts may refer to the artwork depending on a technological component to function.
Actually, media artists were devoted to developing their artistic practices rather than determining features of the media arts from the very beginning. As new technologies emerged in the world, the progress they brought with them transformed society. This transformative impact also touched on the field of art, and artists began using photography, film, video, computers, the internet and more in pioneering ways. Even if the first experimental use of audiovisual technologies in art dates back to the 19th century, media arts were created in different ways in diverse historical periods.
Technological advancement was of course an essential factor in the development of media arts but it should not be forgotten that avant-garde had also been a previous accelerator for them in the 1960s as this art movement sought new, experimental, unorthodox ways of creating art pushing the boundaries of what is accepted as "norms." Media arts constantly expanded throughout the 21st century, and artists rapidly benefited from all new technologies in their creations.
The awareness of media arts in Turkey started in the second half of the '90s when the internet was introduced to the country and visual communication design (VCD) departments were launched at some universities. The VCD department of Istanbuls Bilgi University was one of the pioneers in this field and its annual student exhibitions were where the foundation of the media scene was laid.
In 2009, the arts and cultural complex Santralistanbul, situated within the campus of Bilgi University, opened an exhibition with the contribution of ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, a prominent cultural institution in Europe. The students and academicians of the Bilgi University VCD Department contributed a lot to the research, design and installation processes of "Uncharted: User Frames in Media Arts," which showed an experimental selection of contemporary art involving the large-scale use of digital and interactive media.
When he was a student of this department who started to create his own artistic language through photography, moving images and mapping, Anadol participated in this exhibition with his Quadrature, which made an overwhelming impression, especially after its video went viral on the internet. Anadol was one of the young generation artists who started to produce works in media arts in Turkey in the 2000s and prepared this projection show realized on the front facade of Santralistanbul with Alican Aktrk. This very first work of the artist actually pointed to his future successes in the media arts.
Continuing to create works about various subjects reactions to spatial entities like Quadrature in his later oeuvre, Anadol has become an international artist to whom large-size works are commissioned. Using data and machine intelligence as his medium and embedding arts into architecture, the artist questions the future of digital architecture, visualizes alternative realities and redefines the functionalities of interior and exterior spaces. As he shows that all spaces and facades can be used as the artists canvas, his works and exhibitions are always the center of interest with the unique, rare and authentic experiences that they present to their visitors.
This is why his latest exhibition at Istanbuls Pilevneli Gallery has seen long lines of visitors. Machine Memoirs: Space is Anadols third exhibition under Pilevneli's roof. The artists first gallery exhibition Sceptical Interventions was also presented in this gallery in 2012.
With technological advances, the symbiotic between human life and science changes, evoking intriguing discussions about successful human-machine teams. As a media artist interested in data and machine learning, Anadol has been contemplating the relationship between humans and machines for a long time. In his last show, he sees artificial intelligence as a collaborator rather than a mere tool and turns the spotlight to machines providing the vast photographic archives that document the history of space exploration.
While challenging our conventional understanding of the cosmos, human senses, machines and the mind, the exhibition walks the visitors through simulations of how artificial intelligence generates novel experiences to be perceived collectively. Along with the novel experiences it offers, Machine Memoirs: Space managed to touch on the soul and mind of the visitors, taking them away from the routine of their daily lives during the pandemic period with its meditative displays. When I had a chance to catch up with Anadol through a Zoom interview, which has also become a common practice due to COVID-19, the artist said that the presentation of such an exhibition for free of charge during this challenging period affected the visitors reaction in an incredibly positive way.
Indeed, there is an intense and collective work behind the exhibition, about which I was curious most. The exhibition is so dazzling and glamorous. This being the case, how will the visitors see beyond the exhibitions mesmerizing presentations? Refik Anadol arranged his most comprehensive solo exhibition in Istanbul with his studio in a way to ensure the visitors will also comprehend the inspiration of the show. Lets learn about all the details from Anadol.
Machine Memoirs: Space comprises two sections approaching humanitys explorations of space from a distinct aesthetic perspective and thematic orientation. In the first section titled Memoirs, the artist, collaborating with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), exhibits a series of data paintings that utilize over 2 million images that were captured and recorded by the International Space Station (ISS), Hubble and Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO) telescopes and other sensors and satellites. These images are the largest space-related dataset ever used to train a generative adversarial network for an artwork. Anadol underlined that they intentionally presented this data in the raw version in this first part of the exhibition to lead visitors to understand how he questioned whether machines can dream if they learn and how his studio carried out works to realize this dream.
In the second section Dreams, installations of various sizes interpret the same artificial intelligence data in different ways. For example, this data turns into pigments through fluid dynamics on the second floor, while they welcome us in a form of robotic sculptures on the upper floors.
Among the second sections works, a 15-minute immersive artificial intelligence (AI) cinema installation is the favorite of the visitors according to my observation. The cinematic part of this section invites them to step into the mind of a machine. Experiencing a multidimensional, dynamic visualization of how artificial intelligence makes connections between these vast data clusters, the audience finds themselves in an expanding data universe. This space not only represents the interpolation of photographic space archives as synthesis but also becomes a latent cosmos in which dreams are the main currency of artistic creativity.
Revealing the artistic expressions of the Anadol and his studio's groundbreaking research projects on space-related data visualization through machine learning, the exhibition can be visited until April 25. But what about Refik Anadol Studio?
In the art world, establishing artist studios is a common practice. Like many prominent artists, including legendary Andy Warhol, who opened his New York-based studio The Factory in 1967, Anadol also founded his own team to advance in their commitment by combining the forces. The Refik Anadol Studio, comprising of highly talented researchers, is actually the secret power behind Machine Memoirs: Space.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Recalling this African proverb, Anadol said: As I wanted to go far throughout all my career, I established my studio. We are a very precious team of 14, using 14 languages and representing 10 countries now.
The Refik Anadol Studio includes enthusiastic experts who know programming languages and keep up with the technology, according to the artist. My aim is to go deeper in many diverse subjects together with my studio members.
While the media arts are highly popular in the last century, the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) digital art craze created hype in the recent period. You can think of NFT as a unique proof of ownership over something you can't usually hold in your hand like a digital artwork or a video clip. After taking a journey in media arts and Machine Memoirs: Space" with Anadol, I lastly wanted to learn his perspective on this latest craze as a media artist who is up to date with the latest trends.
Anadol received invitations from various NFT marketplace platforms like Nifty Gateway and sold some of his works here, especially during the last six months. The artist believes that NFT has a modifier and transformative side. He said that NFT was a reaction to those who do not see digital arts as a real art form.
More:
Artistic exploration of space, machine: Refik Anadol in Istanbul | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah
- Space exploration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2016]
- space exploration | Britannica.com [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2016]
- Space Exploration News - Space News, Space Exploration ... [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2016]
- Boy & Girl Scout Space Exploration Merit Badge [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2016]
- Articles about Space Exploration - latimes [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2016]
- ESA - Space for Kids - Life in Space - Space Exploration [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2016]
- Space exploration New World Encyclopedia [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2016]
- Space exploration - Wikipedia for Schools [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2016]
- Space Exploration - National Archives and Records ... [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2016]
- A Brief History of Space Exploration | The Aerospace ... [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2016]
- Space Exploration: Crazy Far - Pictures, More From ... [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2016]
- Space Exploration - Scientific American [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2016]
- Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO) [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2016]
- European Space Agency - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2016]
- Space Exploration - U.S. Scouting Service Project [Last Updated On: November 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 25th, 2016]
- Space exploration - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: November 29th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 29th, 2016]
- 50 Years of Presidential Visions for Space Exploration [Last Updated On: January 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 29th, 2017]
- Big Oil's Shortsighted Super Bowl Ad Gets Rocket Fuel Wrong - Inverse [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Obama gutted NASA. Here are 3 ways Trump can make space exploration great again - Conservative Review [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- New 'Life' Trailer Brings Terrifying Thrills from Mars (Exclusive) - Space.com [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- What Everyone Gets Wrong about Black History in the Space Age - Scientific American (blog) [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Space Exploration: Astronauts' Brains Are Changed By Spaceflight, MRI-Based Study Reveals - International Business Times [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Dassault Systemes Plans Space Exploration - I4U News [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Cassini Captures Stunning View of Enceladus | Space Exploration ... - Sci-News.com [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Dassault Systemes sets eyes on space exploration, faster transport - Economic Times [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- TeamIndus launches Moonshot Wheels to inspire Indian rural ... - International Business Times, India Edition [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- NASA Official Highlights Risk of Manned-Spacecraft Efforts - Wall Street Journal [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Cabinet briefed on India-Vietnam Framework Agreement on outer space exploration - Daily News & Analysis [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Belarus invites Iran to cooperate in pharmaceutical industry, space exploration - Belarus News (BelTA) [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- New NASA Leadership Inherits Rejuvenated Space Exploration Program - eNews Park Forest [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- What Will Space Exploration Look Like Under Trump? - Law Street Media (blog) [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Outgoing NASA Team Leaves Its Successors With Robust Options for Space Exploration - Center For American Progress [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Space exploration brought to life for pupils - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Trump's Vision of Space Exploration - The New American [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Mechs and greater space exploration are on the way in Starbound's ... - PCGamesN [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Nuclear Reactors to Power Space Exploration - R & D Magazine [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- NASA spends $2mn on 'advanced life support tech' for deep space travel - RT [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Celebrating Space Exploration - Science NetLinks [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Congress is told, again, that NASA's exploration plans aren't sustainable - Ars Technica [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Space Exploration: Could A Habitable Planet Feature A Habitable Moon? - Forbes [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Republicans Aim to Prioritize NASA Space Exploration Efforts Over Environmental Research - Independent Journal Review [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Turkmenistan Aims High as It Pledges Space Exploration - EurasiaNet [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- One huge step: Trump's plans to privatize 'low Earth orbit' and send NASA into deep space - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- How reusable rockets are paving the way for the next phase of space exploration - Mirror.co.uk [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Space Startups Are Booming | Fortune.com - Fortune [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Mass Effect: Andromeda is About Building Meaningful Relationships and Space Exploration - SegmentNext [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Sen. Nelson Talks Space Exploration At Florida A&M University - WFSU [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Space exploration programs must continue - The Eagle [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- NASA selects new technologies for flight tests for future space exploration - Space Daily [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Nuclear reactors to power space exploration - Los Alamos Monitor [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Editorial: Exploring other planets can help us understand our own - Longmont Times-Call [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Why Does NASA Suddenly Want Humans On New Spacecraft's First Flight? - Vocativ [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Should Humans Leave Space Exploration To Robots? - Forbes [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Space Exploration - WGN Radio [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- EDITORIAL: Jumping at space travel - Indiana Daily Student [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2017]
- NASA's focus on using humans in space exploration is myopic at best, apocalyptic at worst! - International Business Times, India Edition [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2017]
- Guest view: Aliens in Earth's neighborhood? - Irondequoit Post [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2017]
- Why the 'ultimate wearables' lie in the future of space exploration - Wareable [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- Darlington power plant helps fuel NASA's space exploration - CTV News [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- Donald Trump Will Call For a Return of Human Space Exploration - Inverse [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- LEGO Announces 'Women of NASA' Set Celebrating Female Pioneers in Space Exploration - Babble (blog) [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- What Donald Trump Said About Space Travel During His Speech - Heavy.com [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- Trump's call for human space exploration is hugely wasteful and pointless - Los Angeles Times [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- Annexation of Crimea beats space exploration as Russians' proudest moment - StopFake.org [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2017]
- What is the fascination with space exploration? - Grand Valley Lanthorn [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2017]
- Teachers attend space exploration conference, bring back lessons out of this world - Arlington Times [Last Updated On: March 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 4th, 2017]
- Reader applauds space exploration pioneers - Fairfaxtimes.com [Last Updated On: March 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 4th, 2017]
- Jeff Bezos Expected to Unveil Further Plans for Private Space Exploration - Wall Street Journal (subscription) [Last Updated On: March 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 5th, 2017]
- Amazon Chief Bezos Expected to Unveil Further Private Space Exploration Plans - Fox Business [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2017]
- When We Explore Space, We Go Together - Slate Magazine [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2017]
- If India or China Beats the US to Mars, It Will Feel Like a Military Defeat - Slate Magazine [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2017]
- Future Tense Newsletter: Space Exploration Isn't Just About Scientific Discovery - Slate Magazine (blog) [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2017]
- How Barack Obama ruined NASA space exploration - The Hill (blog) [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2017]
- A Trinity professor will play a big role in space exploration - thejournal.ie [Last Updated On: March 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 10th, 2017]
- NASA Funds 133 Projects to Aid Deep Space Exploration - PC Magazine [Last Updated On: March 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 10th, 2017]
- Congress Passes Space Exploration Act, Targets Mars - America Now [Last Updated On: March 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 11th, 2017]
- Space Exploration: US congress approves $19.5 billion for NASA to get humans to Mars by 2033 - NTA News [Last Updated On: March 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 12th, 2017]
- Otherworlds reveals visions of the solar system captured by robot spacecraft - ABC Online [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]
- Exploring space on TV just as challenging - Arizona Daily Sun [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]
- UBCO professor shortlisted for space exploration - Salmon Arm ... - Salmon Arm Observer [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]