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.
all images courtesy of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
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.
the work reinterprets Frank Gehry’s architectural language through artificial intelligence and generative art
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.
the installation utilizes a custom-built AI model on a vast archive of Frank Gehry’s works.
by treating data as a pigment, Refik Anadol transforms Gehry’s legacy into a living, evolving canvas
ethically sourced data and sustainable computing practices form the backbone of the installation
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
curator: Lekha Hileman Waitoller
location: Bilbao, Spain
dates: March 7 – October 19, 2025
thomai tsimpou | designboom
mar 11, 2025