Digital artist Refik Anadol never ceases to titillate the senses with his alluring installations. He has most recently collaborated with the luxury brand BVLGARI to create an immersive experience titled Serpenti Metamorphosis. The multi-sensory installation is inspired by BVLGARI’s iconic Serpenti collection and the process of metamorphosis. Ultimately, it is a celebration of nature’s beauty.
For this dynamic piece, Anadol used artificial intelligence to compile millions of images of nature. Having just recently exhibited at the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, visitors to the installation were able to walk through a space completely covered with the shifting forms around them. The algorithm was trained with 200 million images of nature, which were then rendered as poetic imagery mimicking natural transformations and snakes that seemed to slither and change throughout the installation.
“The concept of Metamorphosis is truly inspiring for me as machine intelligence has the capacity to take the colors, patterns, and shapes of nature and reproduce them into new forms that only exist in its mind,” says Anadol. “And, when I welcome the machine as a collaborator, it allows me to make the invisible visible. Metamorphosis is really the perfect symbol to represent overarching ideas of evolution, growth, and precision in the world that surrounds us.”
Through this installation, Anadol highlights a connection between the natural process of metamorphosis and the precision needed to create jewelry. Though one appears to be the work of Mother Nature and the other is manmade, they involve the same ideas of transformation and renewed beautification. To coincide with the visual elements, the installation also includes the scent of “Rainforest Serpenti,” a newly released fragrance made in collaboration with fragrance and flavor company Firmenich. AI was also used to time the release of the fragrance within the experience.
Though the exhibit in Milan has come to an end, Serpenti Metamorphosis is scheduled to tour across other cities. Afterwards, the piece will be transformed into a non-fungible token, or NFT, and auctioned off. To keep up to date with Anadol’s immersive projects, you can follow the artist on Instagram.
If you loved this immersive installation, be sure to check out our exclusive interview with Refik Anadol on the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. Refik tells us all about machine learning and how his studio uses AI to create artwork for “any age, any background, and any culture.”
Refik Anadol created an immersive installation called Serpenti Metamorphosis in Milan, inspired by BVLGARI's Serpenti collection.
