What is quantum, really? It is both a particle and a wave, a state undefined until observed—principles that run counter to our everyday intuitions. And yet, it is precisely this "invisible reality" that continues to fascinate us. Today, this fascination is quietly beginning to take shape within the realm of art.

 

 

​

Three Faces of Quantum Art

 

In a dialogue titled "The Dawn of Quantum Art," Tina Lorenz, head of the Hertzlab ` at the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, and artistic director and social sculptor Ryuta Aoki explored the emerging potential and significance of this new frontier: quantum art.

　　Lorenz defines quantum art in three categories. The first involves artworks created using quantum computers. The second includes works that express core quantum principles—such as superposition and entanglement—through visual or sonic means. The third is a conceptual approach: using quantum theory not as a tool but as a way of thinking that inspires the artistic process.

　　Although still in its infancy, this field is already generating compelling work around the world. For instance, in 2020, artist Rafik Anadol ` collaborated with Google’s quantum research team to create Quantum Memories, an immersive installation that transformed quantum computational data into dreamlike landscapes through AI. The piece invites audiences to experience the multiverse and indeterminacy of quantum theory on an emotional and sensory level.

　　Equally significant is the rise of Black Quantum Futurism—a cultural and critical movement that reinterprets quantum theory through the lens of African American thought, memory, and temporality. By weaving sound, language, and visual media into non-linear temporalities and collective futures, it presents a radically alternative mode of engaging with science and time itself.

　　In this sense, quantum art is not merely a product of advanced technology; it is an imaginative apparatus that extends the philosophical and sociocultural reach of science.

 

 

​

Creating Encounters with the Quantum World

 

ZKM itself is currently developing Superposition Composition in preparation for the UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science in 2025. This installation translates quantum computer output into a real-time performance by a self-playing piano, inviting audiences to experience music that remains indeterminate until expressed—a sonic parallel to the quantum idea that systems exist in multiple states until measured.

　　Last year, ZKM also partnered with the Goethe-Institut and Studio Quantum ` to host an artist-in-residence program focused on quantum technologies. Including lectures by physicists and workshops with artists, the program emphasized an educational approach aimed at making complex quantum ideas more accessible to both the public and creators.

　　"To truly engage with the quantum world, we need more than theory," Lorenz said. "We need to feel it." Rather than understanding quantum theory purely through equations or white papers, one can encounter it through sound, space, and bodily experience.

　　ZKM, after all, is more than a museum. It functions as an open research institution, engaging in preservation, education, publishing, and cross-disciplinary innovation. Within Hertzlab, six thematic research strands include topics such as post-human ecologies, circular economies, and well-being—and quantum art finds its place among them.

 

 

​

Can Quantum Computers Become Human Tools?

 

Quantum art is not simply about visualizing technical phenomena. It reconnects science with ethics, society with imagination, and technology with narrative. Aoki referenced Japan’s historical engagements with quantum and art, citing Yutaka Matsuzawa’s ` Quantum Art Manifesto ` and Akihiro Kubota’s ` Introduction to Genuine Quantum Computer Art ` . These projects do not merely reflect physical phenomena; they transform philosophical and epistemological questions into artistic language.

　　Lorenz echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the value of quantum art lies in embracing ambiguity and multiplicity. Rather than offering conclusions, it keeps the questions open, reflecting the very essence of quantum mechanics.

　　Quantum computers, too, are inherently dual in nature. They threaten to unravel encryption systems, yet they hold the promise of unprecedented creative and computational possibilities. As such, society must strive to grasp not just what these machines do, but what they mean. Art, in Lorenz’s view, is a key vehicle for exploring that complexity.

　　Toward the end of the session, Aoki introduced the Japanese word dougu, meaning "tool." In its etymology, dou implies "path" or "ethics," while gu means "instrument." A tool, then, is not neutral; it is purpose-driven. Quantum computers, if they are to become our tools, demand that we choose our path—both ethically and creatively.

　　Quantum art challenges us to reconsider how we relate to the tools of the future. As science continues its rapid advance, can art keep pace? Or perhaps even move ahead, imagining what science has not yet dared to ask? By attuning to the fluctuations of the quantum world, this emerging genre may offer a new bridge between human perception and the technologies reshaping it.(Text by Akihico Mori)