The Smithsonian Castle is set to be transformed into an AI-driven immersive art experience called 'Smithsonian Dreams' by media artist Refik Anadol.
The large-scale, multi-sensory experience on the National Mall will be shown on 17 and 18 July from 9pm, transforming the historic Smithsonian building into an immersive night of light, sound and visuals.
"Since its founding, the Smithsonian has sought new ways to share knowledge with the public and inspire future generations," said Lisa Sasaki, the Smithsonian’s deputy under secretary for special projects.
"'Smithsonian Dreams' reflects that spirit of innovation, bringing together art, technology and one of the world’s greatest collections of knowledge in an experience that invites visitors to see the Smithsonian’s vast collections in a new way where history, culture, science and imagination converge."
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Developed by Refik Anadol Studio, the installation uses a custom AI system to reinterpret nearly two centuries of Smithsonian collections and research.
The project drew on millions of digitised items, including specimens, manuscripts, photographs, artworks, objects and scientific records, then turned the data into a continuously evolving visual experience projected across the building.
The Smithsonian's collections contain more than 157 million objects and specimens, 2.1 million library volumes, and approximately 156,000 cubic feet of archival materials, which formed the foundation for 'Smithsonian Dreams'.
"For me, data is a form of memory," Anadol said. "The Smithsonian preserves one of humanity’s most extraordinary repositories of knowledge, accumulated across generations of discovery and imagination."
Smithsonian collections reimagined
He added: "'Smithsonian Dreams' asks what might emerge if that vast memory could become dynamic, if the castle itself could learn from its collections, reflect upon them and dream through them.
"Using machine intelligence as a creative collaborator, we are transforming the archive into a living experience where history, culture, science and imagination continuously unfold in new ways."
Free and open to the public, 'Smithsonian Dreams' follows the recent opening of Refik Anadol's Dataland in LA, the world's first museum of AI arts.
Images courtesy of the Smithsonian
