case study: how andrés reisinger brought his digital ‘take over’ series to the physical realm

Take Over by Andrés Reisinger: an overnight experiment

Andrés Reisinger’s now-iconic Take Over series quietly blossomed on a sleepless night ‘as a simple exercise of creation’. Curious about the booming potential of Artificial Intelligence, the Argentinian artist began experimenting with his dream-like digital imagery, but this time at the scale of cities. The series, which transcends geographical boundaries into the virtual plane, takes place in major international capitals such as London, Rome, Paris, Tokyo, and New York City, engulfing their historical architecture in surreal pink and white drapes, each one more playful and pleasing than the next. Like his previous creations, Take Over seeks to blur the lines between the digital and physical spheres, questioning our experience of what reality means. ‘To me, reality goes beyond physicality or virtuality: anything that constitutes an experience is real, and where they take place is absolutely secondary,’ he tells designboom. 

Andrés Reisinger at his Take Over Jeddah (read more here) | image © Mohammed Ali

reimagining capital cities and the essence of reality

Reisinger first revealed his Take Over digital series on Instagram in February 2023, with a simple caption: ‘Taking Over Paris’. Month by month, the artist began populating his feed with fluffy, flossy, bouncy, and sometimes hairy iterations of his draped designs, virtually taking over cities and regions worldwide. As soon as he released his AI-powered anthology, inquiries about addresses and exhibition hours to visit the installation in person flooded his inbox. The influx of the public’s interest in his art and technology exploration proposes that the viewers might be ready to experience a new art form through digital means. ‘[It] was an experiment into creating a new type of experiential art in the digital realm – I took spaces, are physically lived in day by day, and gave them a new artistic layer to be enjoyed by the global community. It exemplifies how technology can be implemented to foster a sense of community, near and far,’ he shares with us. 

Take Over, Paris – February 2023 | all visualizations © Andrés Reisinger

In less than a year, what started as a personal artistic project quickly grew into show-stopping collaborations for physical iterations in cities like Jeddah and Miami and with brands like Hourglass Cosmetics in New York City and Golden Goose HAUS in Venice. How did Andrés Reisinger take his overnight AI experimentation with virtual installations to the physical realm? And how have his designs evolved in the process? We now hop to the other side of the Take Over series, where real-life applications emerge, spanning three corners of the world: North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Stick around as we share exclusive insights from Reisinger himself. 

Take Over, Tokyo – February, 2023

from digital to physical, in a matter of months

A few months after revealing the viral digital series, Andrés Reisinger presented his very first physical iteration of Take Over during Miami Art Week, which ran from December 4-10, 2023. The billowing pink installation, developed in collaboration with Miami Design District, draped over a Fendi storefront, looking practically indistinguishable from his virtual designs. When asked about this shift to a collaborative model, the artist explains it was ‘the classic case of ‘an opportunity presented itself’. Following his Miami piece, similar opportunities began to pile up and further East.

In fact, the second physical expression materialized in the historical district of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as part of the Matters through Matter exhibition at Balad Al-Fann, a vibrant cultural initiative aiming to revive the city’s UNESCO-listed Old Town. Presented in Andrés’ signature billowing pink, the artwork rises to an impressive height, shrouding an ancient structure in layers of fabric with frilly edges, evoking clothing. ‘The challenges are, of course, the scale of these installations – Take Over Jeddah is a 17-meters-tall structure, just to mention one,’ he adds.

Take Over, Rome – February, 2023

In March 2024, only a month after his Jeddah installation, Reisinger landed in Madrid to create a third physical iteration for a private banking building, A&G. The layering aesthetic is equally present in this piece, but instead of giving off the impression of frilly clothing, he recalls the draping of curtains as they get raised before a show. Moving on to April, the artist completed his first interior Take Over in Venice for Golden Goose HAUS, revealing a much more intimate and interactive iteration. Fast forward to July, and Reisinger hits the beauty product scene, collaborating with Hourglass Cosmetics to celebrate the brand’s latest product drop — The Unreal Liquid Blush collection. From July 12 — 14th, 2024, the NoLiTa facade in New York City was cloaked in undulant pink drapery, bringing a dramatic blush to 14 Prince Street.

Take Over, Dubai – February, 2023

a recipe for success: scalability and cultural adaptation

If you happen to visit Andrés Reisinger’s Instagram page and scroll through his Take Over posts, you can’t help but notice how widely different and inventive each new iteration appears to be. And while virtually anything is possible in the digital realm, the versatility of his design element is guaranteed to succeed offline. Adopting a draping aesthetic insinuates the use of textile, a material that is easily expandable and manipulated to cover any kind of surface, reach almost any height, and fold into any shape or volume. A simple tool with extraordinary potential. Whether a small storefront, a cabin, or a ten-story building, the Take Over model can scale up or down without physically impacting the architecture, making it ideal for almost any context. 

Take Over, Munich – March 2023

Speaking of context, the distinct designs for each iteration — digital or physical — quietly reflect the cultural landscape in which they blossom. ‘Just as in the digital version, the physical ones speak of their hosting cities too,’ he says. In his digital series, furry Take Overs are found in colder cities like Amsterdam; inflatable patterns are set amid the sleek streets of Munich; voluptuous and sweeping drapes are cast upon the desertic planes of Dubai; and so on. Even for his real-life piece in Jeddah, the artist seems to recall traditional clothing or textiles with frilly edges bordering each layer of fabric. ‘Rather than a literal inspiration, I would say they are nods and interpretations of their cultural spirit that are reflected in small, almost imperceptible details of the installation,’ elaborates Reisinger.

Adapting to these very different cultural contexts could not have been possible without extended collaborations with the local teams of each city and brand. ‘Understanding together how to make it work and enjoying the result as a collective effort is so enriching,’ clarifies the artist. Yet, regardless of the setting, program, or client, Andrés Reisinger always maintains the same creative approach for each Take Over project. ‘I believe in those who respect creative freedom and honesty, as well as in collaborations being enriching. This is valid whether it be with brands or with cities, themselves living and breathing beings,’ he continues. 

physical Take Over, Miami – December 2023 | image © Brooke D’Avanzo

what’s next for andrés reisinger and his take over series?

Given how spontaneously and rapidly Take Over grew worldwide, Andrés Reisinger is still somehow processing every new step and collaboration. Planning for the next phase isn’t on his immediate agenda. What matters now is the freedom to keep experimenting, collaborating, and shrouding new cities with a touch of pink. ‘At the moment, I cannot see what it might look like, and to be honest, I am trying to keep that mental freedom. Together with my studios and collaborators, we work tirelessly, and seeing the surprising and unexpected evolution of the artworks is such a moment of joy. In a sense, I give them life but expect them to take their own course, and this is the most spontaneous creative gesture,’ concludes the artist.

physical Take Over – Madrid, 2024 | image © Francesco M. Lucini

physical Take Over for the Hourglass pop-up in NYC – July 2024 (read more here) | image © Rocío Lamastra