The Wild Within
The Wild Within is a series of digital artworks that bring new life into abandoned buildings from a bygone era.
Based on real-world physical spaces, an animated rebirth into a digital realm has been created.
Ryan Koopmans & his partner Alice Wexell visited different locations around the world over several years, exploring ruins and photographing structures that have undergone dramatic transition.
Upon returning, they digitally introduced vegetation, modified the structure and lighting, and animated the scenes with the intention of reviving the empty spaces, essentially bringing life back into the rooms.
The results are a surreal collision between the past and future, natural and manmade, physical and digital, and the real and imaginary.
The aim of the artwork is to create a sense of surreal tranquility whilst referencing the themes of architectural history and its intricate relationship with the natural world.
Many of the buildings depicted in The Wild Within have been demolished in recent years, further emphasizing the theme of time passing in the cycle of growth and decay.
The first mint of The Wild Within occurred on March 24, 2021, with a focus on the Georgian town of Tskaltubo.
This began the genesis chapter of a project that has been widely celebrated, exhibited and acquired by some of the World's premier collectors of digital art.
Timeline
2030 - Awakening
2029 - Chaos
2028 - Revival
2027 - Spectrum
2026 - Echos
2025 - Symbiosis - Ongoing
2024 - Realms - 6 artworks
2023 - Symphony - 4 artworks
2022 - Everlasting - 4 artworks
2021 - The Wild Within Genesis - 13 artworks
Chapter 4: Realms
2024
Chapter 3: Symphony
2023
Chapter 2: Everlasting
2022
Chapter 1: The Wild Within Genesis
2021
Collaborations
The Wild Within x Collaborations
Ryan Koopmans
RYAN KOOPMANS
Ryan Koopmans (BA, MFA) is a Canadian-Dutch lens-based artist interested in the built environment and the societies that are shaped by those environments. Since 2007 he has worked as a full-time professional artist and photographer. His book Vantage, published in 2020, depicts surreal structures in our world’s megacities and urban landscapes. Koopmans' artwork is collected & exhibited worldwide and has been featured by WIRED, Architectural Digest, CNN, Vogue, GQ, The Guardian, Mercedes-Benz & many more.
ALICE WEXELL
Alice Wexell is a Swedish 3D artist and photographer based in Stockholm, Sweden. She is interested in experiencing and creating surreal environments through new technologies. Wexell has worked around the world on digital art and photography projects, as well as assignments for the world's top brands, with Koopmans for the past decade.
Alice
Wexell
Exhibitions of The Wild Within
2025 - Milan, Italy - Milan Design Week showcase at Santo Sofia 27
2025 - London, UK - 'Now Trending' takeover of Outernet Global for Digital Art Week
2025 - Hong Kong - 'The Collectors Dinner' during Art Basel Hong Kong with TAEX
2025 - Paris, France - Le Bristol Hotel - Bristol After Dark Featured Artist
2025 - Paris, France - Through Rose-Colored Glasses - Group Show, Artverse Gallery
2025 - Paris, France - Vivid Ordinals Showcase at the Grande halle de la villette
2024 - London, UK - Christie's Post War & Contemporary Art Day Sale Exhibition
2024 - Miami, USA - SCOPE Miami during Art Basel presented by White Walls Gallery
2024 - Miami, USA - The Bitcoin Art Awards: First Prize - Genesis Project of the Year
2024 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Enter Art Fair
2024 - Marfa, Texas - The Wild Within presented by White Walls Gallery
2024 - Durres, Albania - First International Biennale of Contemporary Art
2024 - Montreal, Canada - The Wild Within presented by Suburbs Gallery
2024 - London, UK - Photo London with Leila Heller Gallery
2024 - Nashville, USA - The BitGala at Bitcoin Nashville
2024 - Nashville, USA - Inscribing Atlantis Exhibition
2024 - London, UK - Ideaworks Studio with Digital Art Week London
2024 - Paris, France - Metaversal x Lumen Prize, The Future of Art
2024 - Belgium - Public display on 760 screens nationwide by Clear Channel x Artcrush Gallery
2024 - Paris, France - SuperRare Showcase at IHAM Gallery
2024 - Reggio Emilia, Italy - Cabinets of Ether
2023 - Miami, USA - Faena Forum during Art Basel Miami Beach presented by Christie's New York
2023 - Dubai, UAE - Christie's Art Auction House and Exhibition Space
2023 - Dubai, UAE - Luxeverse at Museum of The Future
2023 - Zug, Switzerland - Spice Journeys Exhibition at Unpaired Gallery
2023 - Istanbul, Turkey - NFTIST Digital Art Exhibition at Planeth
2023 - New Delhi, India - MASH Gala with BENNFT Gallery
2023 - Barcelona, Spain - Lezar House Group Exhibition
2023 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands - MET Amsterdam Exhibition at Westergasfabriek
2023 - Los Angeles, USA - Outliers Exhibition at Foundry Gallery by PROOF
2023 - Mumbai, India - Architectural Digest Design Show with BENNFT Gallery
2023 - Seoul, South Korea - Billboard Exhibition with Art Innovation Gallery during Frieze Art Fair
2023 - Seoul, South Korea - Beyond Seoul Exhibition by Trippy Labs with Korea Blockchain Week
2023 - Austin TX, USA - Group Exhibition at Permissionless II Summit
2023 - Boston MA, USA - Pellas Gallery at Boston Blockchain Week
2023 - Stockholm, Sweden - Way Gallery at Epicenter Stockholm
2023 - Tokyo, Japan - Reach For The Future Exhibition
2023 - Cannes, France - Jane Goodall Institute Auction at Cannes Film Festival
2023 - NYC, USA - SuperRare Event at South Street Seaport
2023 - NYC, USA - Unfold x SHILLR exhibition
2023 - NYC, USA - Transient Labs Outliers at Oculus World Trade Center
2023 - NYC, USA - Crypt Gallery x Dream Downtown
2023 - Paris, France - Natively Digital at Sotheby's France
2023 - Boston, USA - Steve Aoki Hiroquest Tour
2022 - Miami, USA - Monolith at SCOPE Miami Art Week
2022 - Miami, USA - Floating Pixels at Miami Art Week
2022 - Miami, USA - Unfold x SHILLR exhibition at Miami Art Week
2022 - Montreal, Canada - SuperRare & 0x Society - The Wild Within
2022 - Prague, Czech Republic - NFCastle at House of Lobkowicz
2022 - Los Angeles, USA - ‘Frame of Mind, State of Time, Life Online’
2022 - Beijing, China - Yongle Auction Spring 2022
2022 - NYC, USA - MODA presents A Question For Time exhibition
2022 - NYC, USA - SuperRare Gallery x Jonathan Little exhibition
2022 - NYC, USA - Ben Skaar Curation at the South Street Seaport
2022 - NYC, USA - Time Square Showcase by NFT NYC
2022 - NYC, USA - The Pyramid Screen by NFTSea
2022 - Venice, Italy - Decentral Art Pavilion
2022 - NYC, USA - Crypt Gallery x Dream Downtown
2022 - Miami, USA - Blackdove Gallery at BTC Miami
2022 - Liverpool, UK - NFT Liverpool
2022 - Stockholm, Sweden - Way Gallery
2022 - New York, USA - SuperRare Monolith
2022 - Stockholm, Sweden - OtherLands NFT Festival
2021 - Montreal, Canada - 0x Society
2021 - Calgary, Canada - Photoville 'The Fence'
2021 - Tokyo, Japan - NEO Shibuya Screen
2021 - Miami, USA - SuperRare Monolith
2021 - Miami, USA - The Temporal Gallery at Flagler Street
2021 - Miami, USA - MoDa The Wall at Factory Town
2021 - Dubai, UAE - WOW Summit
Selected Press of The Wild Within
The Art Newspaper - From Ownership to Ordinals
Decrypt - Dynamic Ordinals Artwork Will Be First Ever Auctioned at Christie's
Crypto News - Christie's Sells it's First Bitcoin Ordinals
Moments in Time: AOI Featured Artist
Bitcoin Magazine - An Interview Regarding 'The Origin' Inscription Artwork
Cool Hunting Highlights Photo London 2024
WePresent by WeTransfer - The Duo Digitally Reviving Abandoned Buildings
Design Boom - The Enchanted Hour: A Hypnotic Cuckoo Clock
Department of Cultural & Environmental Heritage at the University of Milan
Visual Atelier 8 - The Enchanted Hour: A Mesmerizing Artwork Merging Time & Imagination
The Inspiration Grid - The Enchanted Hour: A digital artwork that interacts with the time of day
NFT NOW - ‘The Enchanted Hour’: Architectural Marvel Captured Onchain
SuperRare Magazine - Curated Conversations: Botto collaborated with Ryan Koopmans
HypeMoon by HypeBeast - 'Sanctuary' - Immersive Artwork
Visual Atelier 8 - 'Sanctuary' - A Meditative Digital Artwork
I See You Gallery - Interview with Ryan Koopmans
Condé Nast Traveler - Deserted Soviet Town Is Attracting New Visitors Through Art
Tabi Labo - Garden Of The Gods
New York Post - Jim Carrey Buys NFT
0x Society - Interview with Ryan Koopmans
Visual Atelier 8 - Surreal Architectural Realms By Ryan Koopmans
Fast Company - These Abandoned Soviet Buildings Got A Hauntingly Gorgeous Makeover
Design Boom - Abandoned Soviet Architecture Digitally Revived With Dancing Flowers
SuperRare Editorial 2021 - The Wild Within
Architectural Digest - Photographer Spent Five Years Capturing Abandoned Soviet-Era Spas
Calvert Journal - Home From Home
CNN - The Abandoned Soviet-era Spas A Community Of Refugees Calls Home
GQ Magazine - Inside The City That Time Forgot
WIRED - The Abandoned Soviet Spas Inhabited by Georgian Refugees
Creative Boom - Decaying Spas of the USSR
Featured in
Podcasts & Audio Interviews
In Conversation with Ryan Koopmans & Lars Seier Christensen at Enter Art Fair, Copenhagen
Panel Discussion: The Future of Art with Metaversal x Lumen Prize in Paris, France
The Future of Art w/ Roger Dickerman: Ryan Koopmans - Architecture, Nature & Long Term Vantage Point
PROMPT3D hosted by SHILLR: Conversation with Ryan Koopmans
NorCal and Shill Season 1 Episode 92: The Wild Within
Botto Talks: From Curation to Collab: Ryan Koopmans & Alice Wexell
Scrapbook - Episode 4: A Conversation with Ryan Koopmans
PROOF Grails Season 3: Interview with Ryan Koopmans
