By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL – Turkiye’s famous media artist-designer Refik Anadol in collaboration with Turkish Airlines (THY) is exhibiting a project entitled Inner Portrait at Art Basel in Switzerland which opened June 12. The unique project is based on the impact that travel has on human biology with THY explaining that the collaboration is part of the airline’s passion for melding cultures with innovative methods. Inner Portrait showcases the experiences of four people who never traveled abroad and brings observers into their inner world. The four travelers include a Brazilian, a native of the Amazon, Tuikuru – exploring Tokyo streets, a native Kenyan Esther, discovering Istanbul’s rich historical sites, Sahar an Australian, explores Gobeklitepe and Cappadocia in Turkiye while Sigurbjorn from Iceland, explores stunning Jordan. What makes this art collaboration special is that Anadol and his team use the most modern AI tools and neuroscientific sensors to capture emotional data from first-time travelers and their experiences which are then transformed into AI Data Images. In this way, brain data becomes the lifeblood of an unforgettable visual narrative on the power of travel to transform lives.
For Inner Portrait, biological and neurobiological data was collected from passengers such as heart rate, skin conductivity, and EEG outputs which are recorded using advanced monitoring devices like Neuroelectrics. It’s these recordings throughout the journey of the four travelers that are the crux of the work, capturing the travelers instant reactions to new environments and experiences – an examination of experiences and neuronal activity. THY Communications Director Rafet Fatih Ozgur, THY Independent Board Member Fatmanur Altun and Refik Anadol’s wife Efsun Anadol attended the opening ceremony on June 12. THY Communications Director Rafet Ozgur gave his perspective on Inner Portrait, “As an airline that flies to most countries in the world, we witness countless emotions and stories and see the impact of travel on people. As we are responsible for telling these stories, we are pleased to transform the impact of travel on people into a work of art at the intersection of culture, art, technology and science and to present this work on a platform like Art Basel. I believe this work will encourage people to travel.” Inner Portrait’s final day on display at Art Basel was June 16 and a 30-minute documentary with the same title is set for release in the fall of 2024. More than 280 galleries exhibited paintings, sculpture, video installations and performance art.
