What would you like people to take away from the experience of seeing the artwork?

Refik Anadol
I hope that people can respect and understand that even the most recent AI model can be much more powerful when we have a collaboration, like this one between the Yawanawá and cutting edge AI. Just as an example. So people think “AI can take over the world, AI can create negativity, AI can create problems.” But actually, AI can also be used to connect cultures and create visibility.

I wish everyone could experience the Yawanawá’s culture — live in their village and see, hear, eat, and listen together. There we see our very complex, personal egocentric world, versus a deep, diverse, communal togetherness. To me, this project has been all learning, every single step. There is no formula, there is no school, there is no workshop, there is no algorithm, nothing. It’s just created from scratch. And that’s where you learn true collaboration. ■

Watch the interview with Refik Anadol and Chief Nixiwaka Yawanawá on our YouTube channel.