Bulgari Have Partnered With Artist Refik Anadol To Create A Massive Art Installation Through AI
Visiting Assistant Researcher Refik Anadol (Design Media Arts, MFA '14), works in the fields of site-specific public art and live audio/visual performance with an immersive installation approach, particularly his works explore the space among digital and physical entities by creating a hybrid relationship between architecture and media arts.
Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images If you thought fashion week was the most exciting event to have taken place in Milan recently, think again: a few days ago, Bulgari opened a jaw-dropping new art installation, created through AI.
The Rome-based jeweller partnered with award-winning media artist Refik Anadol to make the immersive, digital artwork, said to be the first conceived by artificial intelligence for a luxury brand.
The inspiration? The concept of metamorphosis, embodied by Bulgari’s signature snake emblem.
'I've been working with data and AI for 10 years and I've always tried to be a pioneer in the field,' says Anadol. 'I'm honoured to work with a brand like Bulgari. One of the most inspiring things about the company is its approach to luxury, perfection and craftsmanship.'
'Art, design, science and technology can’t be separated anymore - we’re in a new era.'
The Serpenti symbol ‘joins together the brand’s main categories, from jewels and watches to the bags,’ says Jean-Christophe Babin, chief executive officer of Bulgari, adding that the work ‘is totally innovative in art and in art applied to luxury’.
The piece is installed outside Milan’s cathedral in the main square, Piazza Duomo, and will be open to the public from the October 31 before heading to other cities across the world.
'I've been working with data and AI for 10 years and I've always tried to be a pioneer in the field,' says Anadol. 'I'm honoured to work with a brand like Bulgari. One of the most inspiring things about the company is its approach to luxury, perfection and craftsmanship.'
'Art, design, science and technology can’t be separated anymore - we’re in a new era.'
The Serpenti symbol ‘joins together the brand’s main categories, from jewels and watches to the bags,’ says Jean-Christophe Babin, chief executive officer of Bulgari, adding that the work ‘is totally innovative in art and in art applied to luxury’.
The piece is installed outside Milan’s cathedral in the main square, Piazza Duomo, and will be open to the public from the October 31 before heading to other cities across the world.
He has also created a separate artwork that uses a learning algorithm trained on more than 120,000 snake images, resulting in a digital representation of Bulgari’s famous reptile.
To make the multi-sensory experience even more immersive, Anadol worked with perfumer Sophie Labbé and Firmenich to create the first AI-imagined fragrance, called ‘Rainforest’. — Clara Strunck, Oct. 8, 2021
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the ELLE website.
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