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NewsKPBS Public MediaJuly 29, 2026United States

Inside Dataland: The New AI-Powered Art Museum in Los Angeles

Dataland, a new museum in downtown Los Angeles founded by artist Refik Anadol, uses artificial intelligence to create immersive, sensory-based art installations. The museum features exhibits that respond to visitor biometric data and utilize massive datasets from archives like the Smithsonian.

Artificial IntelligenceArtTechnologyMuseumsLos Angeles
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Why It Matters

The museum represents a shift in contemporary art production, raising questions about the use of public archives for for-profit AI projects and the role of corporate partnerships in the art world.

Key Facts

  • Dataland, described as the world's first museum of AI arts, opened in Los Angeles in June.
  • Standard entry to Dataland starts at $49.
  • The museum uses custom AI models trained on archival data from institutions like the Smithsonian and Oxford University.
  • Exhibits incorporate sensory elements including sound, smell, taste, and real-time biometric data from visitors.
  • Refik Anadol's work has been acquired by the Museum of Modern Art and featured at the Grammy Awards.
  • The artist maintains partnerships with major technology companies including Google and Nvidia.
  • Critics have raised concerns regarding the use of public archives for for-profit art projects and the influence of corporate patronage.
  • Anadol's studio utilizes Google Cloud infrastructure for processing data.

Who's Mentioned

personDeniz Johns“Artist and researcher.”personLisa Sasaki“Deputy undersecretary for special projects at the Smithsonian.”personEfsun Erkılıç“Co-founder of Dataland.”personRefik Anadol“Digital artist and co-founder of Dataland.”personLionel Messi“Professional soccer player who collaborated on an AI installation.”personAmit Sood“Google vice president and founder of Google Arts & Culture.”personJerry Saltz“New York magazine critic.”organizationSmithsonian“Provided archival data for AI models.”otherDataland“New museum of AI art in Los Angeles.”organizationGoogle“Corporate partner and infrastructure provider for Anadol's work.”