Turkish-born visionary artist and educator, Refik Anadol, has been revolutionizing the intersection of art and technology for over a decade. His work dynamically transforms architecture using artificial intelligence, creating interactive installations that mesmerize worldwide. Under Julius Baer’s NEXT initiative, Anadol’s studio curated a multisensory art series using a comprehensive glacier image dataset, beautifully showcased in his recent ‘Glacier Dreams’ exhibition at Art Basel 2023, a testament to his profound respect for our changing environment. Anadol persistently pioneers a future where art, technology, and human experience converge effortlessly, and we had the pleasure of interviewing him.

Claudia Rafael is a digital artist and art director based in Berlin who explores the intersections of technology, extended and mixed realities, and popular culture. She is fascinated by how digitalism shapes new aesthetics that relate to art, nature, and society. Her artistic practice is broad, spanning various fields such as music, fashion, art, and culture. She is particularly interested in how digital tools can be used to challenge social norms and offer new possibilities for self-imagination.

Rafael grew up during the rise of the global Internet and Web 1.0 and studied graphic design and media design. As a result, she considers herself and all her pairs – digital artists – to be autodidacts, having grown up with technology as their primary medium. She recalls how, as a child, there were no mobile phones or the Internet, which makes her passionate even more how far technology has come today.

While working on the beta version of the Facebook augmented reality platform Spark AR in 2016, the artist embarked on her journey to discover how beauty diversifies and transforms, rather than conforms. Rafael’s interest in using digital tools to challenge social norms and offer new possibilities for self-imagination led her to create the A.I. Beauty Portraits series. By experimenting
and altering aspects of one’s appearance without the constraints of biological plausibility or acceptability, Rafael’s portraits offer infinite possibilities for one’s digital self.

In 2020, Claudia and her collaborators Florian Siegmann, Steffen Bewer and Andrea Avellino came together to form NEWFORMAT. Unifying skill sets and minds, the studio focuses on the interdisciplinary exchange between cultural and technological forces, making experimentation its manifesto and the promise of breaking new grounds the motto for constant research.

In the realm of digital art, Ezequiel Pini’s Six N Five studio emerges as a beacon of innovation and creative excellence. Based in Barcelona, this Argentinian designer and artist has spent the past decade redefining the landscape of contemporary art through his pioneering use of 3D technology. With a unique blend of clean, modern aesthetics, Pini’s work transcends traditional boundaries, exploring the intricate realms of imagination and dreamlike worlds
across various mediums. We were thrilled for the opportunity to engage in conversation with Ezequi el Pini, delving deeper into his fascinating work and gaining valuable insights into his world.

In the ever – evolving world of art and architecture, Madrid – based architect and 3D artist, Alba de la Fuente, is pushing the boundaries of design and imagination. Having studied and worked in London, Barcelona, and Madrid with renowned architects and artist s like Ricardo Bofill, Andres Reisinger, Sabine Marcelis, Tom Dixon, and Charlotte Taylor, Alba has honed her craft and emerged as a trailblazer in the industry.

Beyond textiles and walls, the digital world is a reality.

The Virtual Showroom is a space that allows one to transfer a physical experience into a virtual world. Developed by DEPT® and Journee with H&Mbeyond, it offers a world where there are no physical limitations.

Today, each of us, to one degree or another, has his own avatar in the Metaverse – whether it’s an Instagram account or a messenger. The development of the gaming industry and the parallel world inevitably transfers all aspects of our life to digital reality. Fashion is no exception. Launched in 2020, the Dress X platform has become the premier digital fashion broadcaster and brand guide to a new reality.

ORamaVR was created to tackle a major health crisis that is currently affecting almost 5B people globally: the lack of access to affordable surgical care. This is due to limited number of health professionals entering the workforce, as a direct result of the lack of innovation in medical training. Thankfully it has recently been proven in clinical trials that medical virtual reality training can change all that. We had the honor of talking to George Papagiannakis, a true pioneer in his field.

One of the projects that Hello Monday/DEPT® carried out for the American Society for Deaf Children was Fingerspelling.xyz, an innovative and creative way to learn sign language through technology.