Refik Anadol Announces DATALAND, a Museum for AI and Ecological Data at The Grand LA

Artist Refik Anadol, cofounder of Refik Anadol Studio and DATALAND, has authored an essay discussing the evolution of museums in the context of digital and AI art. The piece appears in the March 2026 issue of ArtReview. Anadol reflects on his personal experiences with traditional institutions like MoMA and collaborations at venues including Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Serpentine, and Casa Batlló, where integrating technology often required retrofitting existing architecture. He argues that such adaptations pose challenges for preserving dynamic, algorithmically-generated artworks. In response, Anadol and his partner and cofounder, architect Efsun Erkılıç, are launching DATALAND, a new museum opening this year at Frank Gehry's The Grand LA in Los Angeles. Designed from the ground up for AI art, DATALAND will function as a 'museum for data,' collecting and utilizing ethically sourced ecological information from environments like coral reefs and rainforests. Its core is a Large Nature Model, an AI system that processes this data to generate real-time, multisensory artworks. Anadol positions DATALAND not as a replacement for traditional museums but as an evolution of the institution, redefining what it means to collect and preserve cultural memory in the digital age. The essay originates from a broader ArtReview symposium titled 'The Museum in Crisis.'