DATALAND by refik anadol to open in LA, spring 2026, as the world’s first museum of AI arts

first look at DATALAND, set to open at the Grand LA in spring 2026

Refik Anadol Studio presents DATALAND, the world’s first Museum of AI Arts, opening in spring 2026 at The Grand LA, a Frank Gehry-designed development in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The project features art experiences blending human imagination and artificial intelligence, establishing a new model for artistic expression at the onset of the digital age.

The 2,320-square-meter institution is designed to feature five distinct galleries and serve as a hub for exploring the creative potential of data and generative systems. In anticipation of its opening, Refik Anadol Studio unveils a first look at Gallery C – Infinity Room, an evolved iteration of one of the studio’s most iconic installations.

The museum marks a full-circle moment for Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç, who founded Refik Anadol Studio in Los Angeles over a decade ago and have since exhibited their works in more than 80 cities on six continents.

all images courtesy Refik Anadol Studio

a groundbreaking proposal by Refik Anadol studio

Establishing DATALAND at The Grand LA, in the heart of Los Angeles’ cultural corridor, marks a symbolic homecoming for Refik Anadol, Efsun Erkılıç, and the studio. The business center is situated directly across the street from Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, where, in 2018, the team presented one of their defining projects to date, the ambitious and groundbreaking WDCH Dreams, celebrating the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Centennial. Using 42 large-scale projectors, the nightly live performances featured machine dreams of the LA Phil’s 100 years of digitized memories, mapped directly onto the undulating stainless-steel exterior of the iconic building. The museum will unfold steps from renowned cultural institutions: The Broad, MOCA, The Music Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, REDCAT, and The Colburn School in the cultural epicenter of Los Angeles.

Developed by Related Companies, The Grand LA is home to the award-winning 305 room Conrad Los Angeles luxury hotel, more than 436 residences including affordable housing and will feature a collection of chef-driven restaurants, shops, and art-driven experiences anchored by DATALAND. As the world’s first Museum of AI Arts, its opening follows a series of presentations from Refik Anadol Studio, including Living Paintings at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, in Los Angeles; Machine Hallucinations at The Sphere, in Las Vegas; Living Architecture: Casa Batlló at Antoni Gaudí’s famed building, in Barcelona, Spain; Living Archive: Nature at the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland; Echoes of the Earth at London’s Serpentine Galleries; and Living Arena at the Intuit Dome, in Inglewood, CA.

DATALAND by Refik Anadol Studio is designed in collaboration with architecture firm Gensler and global sustainable development consultancy Arup. Earlier in 2025, DATALAND introduced its founding digital collection, Biome Lumina, a series of 1,000 unique AI data sculptures that sold out in 34 minutes. The inaugural exhibitions at the museum will be expressed through the studio’s Large Nature Model, the world’s first open-source AI model trained exclusively on natural data.

a first glimpse at Gallery C – Infinity Room

INFINITY ROOM OFFERS FIRST GLIMPSE INTO the project

Originally conceived in 2014 at UCLA as Anadol’s first immersive data sculpture, Infinity Room envisioned a future for the Light and Space movement through the lens of media architecture. The work debuted physically in 2015 as a 3.66 × 3.66-meter mirrored cube animated by undulating black-and-white projections, transforming light into material and data into pigment.

Over the past decade, Infinity Room has traveled to 35 cities worldwide and been experienced by more than 10 million visitors. The new version at DATALAND incorporates AI-generated scents derived from the studio’s Large Nature Model and becomes the first immersive space to employ World Models, an advanced form of generative AI capable of understanding real-world physics and spatial dynamics. This multisensory environment offers a first glimpse into the perspective-altering experiences that will define the Museum of AI Arts.

Infinity Room has traveled to 35 cities worldwide and been experienced by more than 10 million visitors

ARTIST RESIDENCY WITH GOOGLE ARTS & CULTURE

Los Angeles has long held Anadol’s fascination, beginning when he was eight years old with the discovery of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, set in a futuristic reimagining of the city. He first ventured there in 2012 to attend a graduate program in Design Media Arts at the University of California Los Angeles, where he has taught for the last ten years. In 2014, Erkiliç joined Anadol in Los Angeles to establish Refik Anadol Studio permanently in the city. The Studio’s works have been exhibited worldwide in more than 70 cities on six continents and are beloved by millions of ardent fans. DATALAND brings this future-forward vision to a permanent home.

In alignment with DATALAND’s mission to expand public understanding of artificial intelligence and its creative applications, the museum announces the launch of its inaugural Artist Residency Program, in partnership with Google Arts & Culture.

Over six months, three selected artists will explore new frontiers of human–machine collaboration, supported by mentorship, funding, and technical resources. Their projects will culminate in a public showcase at DATALAND, featuring immersive installations, artist talks, and lectures examining AI’s evolving role in art and culture.

establishing a new model for artistic expression