GANism

This study explores the techno-aesthetic dimensions shaping certain contemporary architectural and artistic creations. It focuses on two significant works generated by artificial intelligence (AI) programs: Machine Perceptions: Gaudí + Neural Networks, designed by Daniel Bolojan in 2018, and Living Architecture: Casa Batlló, developed by Refik Anadol Studio in 2022. The study is based on an in-depth literature review concerning both projects, as well as the broader use of AI in architecture. It also includes a visual analysis based on photographic and video materials. The first project is a 3D animation that investigates the development of a deep learning prototype capable of reinterpreting the aesthetic of Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família. In contrast, the second is an immersive, multisensory mapping installation that redefines the design of remote exhibition spaces. Powered by neural algorithms trained on images of Gaudí’s architecture and real-time climate data, this work goes beyond offering a novel artistic experience—it also crafts a new narrative within the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). How does AI manifest itself in the creative process behind these two works? What kind of spatiality, aesthetic, and artwork might emerge from such computational programs, and what future lies ahead for architecture as a discipline?