Will Quantum Computing Change Art?

A large sheet of sheer, black fabric hangs from the ceiling of Kraftwerk, a former power station turned arts space in Berlin. Sections extend across the vast, industrial space, rippling like the trailing tendrils of a jellyfish, seeming to both conduct and respond to other elements in the space. Whether it’s the breathy soundscape punctuated by sudden bursts of noise or the delicate, meteor-like sculptures suspended from the ceiling that shiver as they are raised and lowered, everything feels in sync – an orchestra of disparate forms bound together by invisible forces.

This is ‘WE FELT A STAR DYING’, a new large-scale exhibition by Brussels-based artist Laure Prouvost that opened last week. Created after two years of research with philosopher Tobias Rees and Google’s Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab founder Hartmut Neven, the work explores concepts from quantum physics, a branch of science that describes how particles behave at the smallest scales, often in ways that defy classical logic. ‘[The project] isn’t just about experimenting with new technology; it’s about shifting our perspective,’ says Bettina Kames, founder of LAS Art Foundation, the Berlin-based organization who commissioned ‘WE FELT A STAR DYING’ to launch their new Sensing Quantum programme.

The theory of quantum entanglement – where two or more entities intermingle and become deeply connected, regardless of the distance between them – seems to be one of the key inspirations behind the exhibition, and its central film in particular. Shown on a circular screen beneath the lengths of suspended fabric, Prouvost’s film features close-up footage of everything from bird’s feet to concrete particles. In a voiceover, the artist recites poetic phrases in a seductive whisper; ‘we are we’ is a repeated refrain. At the press preview, Prouvost described how quantum theories can promote empathy and unity, imploring visitors to ‘experience this show as a we’ and ‘forget yourself, become the earth, become the concrete, become the column.’

‘WE FELT A STAR DYING’ coincides with the centennial celebrations of quantum physics, which are being marked by a U.N.-declared international year. It feels incredibly timely given the rapid advancements in quantum computing, in which quantum bits (qubits) – Prouvost playfully renames them ‘cute bits’ in her show, reimagining them as kinetic sculptures – are used to perform calculations at extraordinary speeds. ‘While the digital computers we use every day process information step by step, quantum computers process it all at once,’ explains Libby Heaney, a London-based artist with a doctorate in quantum physics who has collaborated extensively with LAS on previous projects. Quantum computers differ from AI models as they can imagine new futures and possibilities, rather than simply copying the past after being trained on existing data. ‘In some ways, they’re closer to us,’ adds Prouvost. ‘They have their own agency and aren’t as easily controlled.’

While Prouvost worked with data from a quantum computer on the film for ‘WE FELT A STAR DYING’, using it to reimagine the order and aesthetic of her footage, it doesn’t look like quantum computers will become regular tools for artists any time soon. Still in development, they’re unreliable and highly sensitive to environmental changes like temperature fluctuations. ‘They can even feel when a star dies,’ Prouvost told me, hinting at the meaning behind her show’s title. Heaney adds that while it’s a myth that they’re hard to access – IBM has had quantum computers available online since 2019 – artists struggle to know ‘what to do with one unless [they] have training in quantum or [they’re] so mathematically gifted that [they’re] able to teach [themselves].’ 

That’s not to say quantum science won’t have a significant impact on the creative industries. Concepts like superposition – the idea that an entity can exist in two states at once – which is often used to evidence the existence of the multiverse, are particularly popular among artists and filmmakers. ‘Every time something happens, the universe branches into two,’ explains Heaney. ‘There’s an almost infinite number of universes where everything that could happen, happens.’ She herself created Heartbreak and Magic in 2024, a VR experience at Somerset House shaped by the comfort she took in quantum physics after the tragic death of her sister. ‘Science says that she should still exist in some parallel universe,’ Heaney says.

Despite the exciting potential for creative exploration, the rapid development of quantum computing raises significant ethical concerns. ‘[Quantum computers] will be owned by the most powerful tech companies and governments in the world,’ says Heaney. ‘The ability to simulate and copy reality will be much deeper than ever before.’ There are ecological concerns too, as quantum computing uses limited rare earth minerals, and Prouvost points to security risks: quantum computers could break passwords and locks at unprecedented speeds. In December, Google announced their Willow chip, capable of performing in five minutes a calculation that would take any other supercomputer over 10 septillion years’ Kames explains, ‘and no one really knows what China is doing.’

For these reasons, regulation is necessary for quantum technology just as it is for AI. While ‘in terms of pure tech development [of quantum], the US and China are leading the way,’ Kames believes that Europe has the opportunity to spearhead these ethical discussions – especially if it leverages its rich and diverse cultural sector to drive meaningful conversations. ‘We strongly believe this technology will be disruptive,’ she says. ‘It will change the world. It’s urgent to bring this discourse into society.’ That’s exactly what ‘WE FELT A STAR DYING’ sets out to do, challenging us not only to engage with burgeoning technology, but also to think deeply about the world we want to create with it.

Laure Prouvost’s ‘WE FELT A STAR DYING’ is on view at Kraftwerk, Berlin, until 4 May

_{Main image: Laure Prouvost, ‘WE FELT A STAR DYING’, 2025, exhibition view. Courtesy: the artist, LAS Art Foundation, Berlin, and OGR Torino; photograph: Andrea Rossetti}