Press Release

Roman Lipski: Quantum Babylon

National Museum in Szczecin – Museum of Contemporary Art

June 26 - September 14 2025

Opening reception: June 26, 5-7 pm

Roman Lipski returns to the National Museum in Szczecin (NMS) with “Quantum Babylon”, an immersive exhibition of new work made with Quantum Computing (QC) technology that marks the latest step in the Berlin-based artist’s evolving practice. Combing video, sound and sculptural elements, the installation that opens in June 2025 offers a view of what is possible in art with the tools of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).

In the years following an exhibition simply entitled “Painting” that was held at the NMS in 2014, Lipski has employed the 4IR tech that increasingly is a facet of daily life to expand his oeuvre from the neo-romantic landscapes that made him a favourite with collectors and museums. During the intervening years, the artist’s professional and artistic choices are spectacular volleys that have placed him in among the global leaders making art with these technologies.

Fascinated by their transformative possibilities, Lipski abandoned his easel in favour of exploring the artistic potential of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). With them, he created abstract paintings that serve as a basis for the building of Virtual Reality environments that enable viewers to move through the works in exhibition settings.

Lipski treats technology as a creative partner, making increasingly collaborative works that oscillate at the intersection of art, science and social reflection. For the NMS installation, he employs a more advanced tool – the quantum computer – to create a biblical Tower of Babel that symbolizes both the utopia of a common language and technological cooperation. And one that highlight the risks in a global race for QC dominance that threatens to deepen the divide between North and South, East and West.

The word “Babylon” comes from the Akkadian “Bab-ilani,” meaning “gate of the gods.” As the 4IR unfolds at unprecedented speed and scale, it opens entirely new and fantastic gates of possibilities for humanity.

With the installation, Lipski addresses the relationship between humans and quantum computer technology. Based on algorithms developed specifically for QC, Lipski has transformed his drawings and paintings into digital spaces – from floating fantastical landscapes to dystopian urban visions. A looped projection features fragments of abstract symbols, a reference to a non-existent language that in future may prove essential to understanding quantum computers.

In addition to the visual and auditory experience, one will also be able to experience the softness and smell of sheep's wool - sit or lie down on hand-woven carpets whose pattern was generated by computer algorithms.

In this way, Lipski's creative trajectory comes full circle - from easel painting, to GAN, AI, QC, digital art, and back to tangible crafts.

“Quantum Babylon” raises questions not only about the future of technology, but also about ourselves, our ethical responsibility in the face of a rapidly changing world. Lipski invites viewers to consider the role of humans in a world where the boundaries between art, science and technology are becoming increasingly fluid.

For further information, images and interview requests, please contact studio@romanlipski.com.