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New Scientist recommends pioneering artist Ryoji Ikeda's new work

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

By Thomas Lewton

28 January 2026

Ryoji Ikeda, data-cosm [n?1], 180 Studios, 2025. Photo by Alice Lubbock.

Ryoji Ikeda’s data-cosm [n°1]

Alice Lubbock

Thomas Lewton
Features editor, London

Since the mid-2000s, electronic musician and visual artist Ryoji Ikeda has transformed vast quantities of data into immersive installations that transport you inside invisible scientific realms.

When visiting his new work , which sets out to “chart the full spectrum of data on nature”, I laid back as my field of vision was enveloped by a vast LED screen that whirred to life with strobing flashes. But I soon settled into the pace of this rollercoaster as it careered around Earth, inside our minds and into outer space, all perfectly synchronised with glitching music.

This is undoubtedly a slick production. Virtually flying through a DNA strand at high speed is thrilling, giving you a visceral reminder of how vast the human genome is. Yet there is so much to absorb that, at times, these data-worlds ring hollow, and it feels like you are being dazzled at the cost of interrogating our relationship to data.

See the show yourself at 180 Studios in London until 1 February.

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