Through its ongoing collaboration with media artist Refik Anadol, Absen’s COB LED technology forms the visual backbone of Dataland, the world’s first AI-themed museum of fine arts, housed within Frank Gehry’s THE GRAND LA in downtown Los Angeles.
Dataland, co-founded by media artist Refik Anadol and his wife and partner Efsun Erkilic, opened its doors on 20th June as the world’s first museum dedicated entirely to AI-driven fine art. Located within THE GRAND LA, the architecturally celebrated mixed-use complex designed by Frank Gehry, the museum spans approximately 35,000 sq ft, including five galleries totalling around 25,000 sq ft and roughly 10,000 sq ft of dedicated hardware infrastructure built to support its data-driven artworks.
Bringing large-scale generative art to life inside a landmark architectural space presented a distinct set of demands. The museum’s inaugural exhibition, “MACHINE DREAMS: RAINFOREST”, is powered by the Large Nature Model, an AI system that transforms millions of images, bird songs and weather recordings into a continuously evolving, multi-sensory installation. Delivering that experience meant sourcing display technology capable of rendering ultra-high-resolution, colour-accurate imagery across both wall and floor surfaces, withstanding continuous visitor footfall, and integrating seamlessly into Gehry’s architecture without compromising the art or the space around it.
To meet these requirements, Absen’s COB LED technology was selected across the museum’s galleries, delivering more than 330 sqm of display in total, including a dedicated Absen LED floor screen. Built on chip-on-board technology, it embeds LED chips directly onto the display substrate for a smoother, seam-free surface, finer detail at close viewing distance, and the structural durability needed for a screen designed to be walked across as well as watched.
Blackbox, Absen’s value-added distributor (VAD) for the project, supported every stage of delivery. From advising on optimal product selection and defining precise specifications during the design phase, through to on-site installation, commissioning and ongoing after-sales support. That continuity of service was instrumental in ensuring seamless delivery from concept to opening day.
The installation marks the latest chapter in a multi-year collaboration between Absen, Blackbox and Refik Anadol, whose previous projects with the brand include a large-scale fluid AI installation at a museum in Turkey (2022), illuminated vertical pillars inside the AKBANK headquarters lobby in Turkey (2024), and a joint exhibition booth at the ISE trade show in Spain (2025).
With Absen’s display technology at the centre of the experience, visitors to Dataland are immersed in artwork that shifts and responds in real time, supported by a low-carbon approach to both the AI model’s operation and the museum’s wider footprint. The result is a seamless fusion of art, architecture and technology that reflects Dataland’s ambition to redefine what art can mean in the age of AI.
“We have only processed permitted and clearly sourced data since 2020,” explains Refik Anadol, co-founder of Dataland, on the studio’s approach to working ethically with AI. He has described the museum’s core mission as one “to redefine the concept of art in the age of AI”, viewing the technology as a tool that unlocks new artistic possibilities rather than a shortcut around them.
“The entire museum uses high-definition LED screens to create a fully immersive experience, with seamless transitions and vibrant, delicate colour that completely reshapes the traditional gallery format,” says Laura Luo, President of Absen North America, reflecting on her visit to Dataland. “We are no longer standing outside the artwork looking in – we become part of it. It’s a completely new artistic perception, and I was genuinely moved by the experience.”
For more information, please visit absen-europe.com and dataland.art
