The Aesthetics of Immersion through AI :The Cosmic Visualization of Refik Anadol’s ‘Machine Hallucinations’

Abstract

This study analyzes how artificial intelligence (AI) and data visualization technologies are integrated into artistic creation to enable aesthetic immersion, focusing specifically on Refik Anadol’s Machine Hallucinations series particularly the Space and Mars projects. Based on vast scientific datasets, Anadol reconstructs representations of space and Mars into surreal and abstract video installations, offering audiences immersive and sensory-driven experiences. Through case analysis and a visual cultural approach to the structure and expression of the works, this paper investigates how Anadol expands the boundaries of human perception and artistically materializes the concept of machinic imagination. The analysis reveals that Machine Hallucinations not only reinterprets scientific data into aesthetic forms through AI but also presents new possibilities for creative collaboration between humans and machines, thereby dissolving the boundary between art and technology. These findings contribute to a renewed understanding of the role of data and algorithms in artistic practice and offer a philosophical reflection on digital aesthetics and the evolving human–machine relationship. Ultimately, this study explores the vision and potential of AI-based art and provides meaningful implications for future interdisciplinary research at the convergence of art, science, humanity, and technology.