'Tony Oursler: mAcHiNe CrYsTaL' at Fotografiska Shanghai

18 June 2026

From 22 May 22 to 13 September 2026, Fotografiska Shanghai presents 'mAcHiNe CrYsTaL', a major solo exhibition by Tony Oursler.

The exhibition features immersive optical installations created specifically for the space. Using the crystal as a medium, Oursler bridges the gap between natural geometry, digital technology, and artificial intelligence. Within the refraction of light and shadow, the exhibition explores the boundaries of technology, nature, and perception, offering audiences a visual wonder that balances scientific precision with artistic poetry.

At the heart of the exhibition lies a large-scale installation composed of optical crystal structures that function simultaneously as sculpture and reflective projection surfaces. These faceted forms act as refractive screens for kaleidoscopic digital imagery—figures interwoven with hand-drawn and AI-generated animations—producing a dynamic perceptual field in which images fragment, multiply, and reassemble in response to the viewer’s position. As images fragment, multiply, and reassemble, every moment of viewing becomes a unique, site-specific experience that disrupts fixed narrative frameworks.

The work draws from crystalline geometries found in nature, which for Oursler suggest both scientific precision and generative creativity. Formed through processes of accretion and repetition, crystals reveal intricate symmetries that have long inspired artistic and mathematical inquiry.

Learn more about the exhibition here.