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Athens-based artist Theo Triantafyllidis, winner of the 2026 Frieze Artist Award, will present “Feral Metaverse (Spider), 2026” at Frieze London. The work pairs a climbable spider sculpture with a live multiplayer game, and Google says Gemini was used during the project’s design process.
Athens-based artist Theo Triantafyllidis, recipient of the 2026 Frieze Artist Award, will present a climbable giant spider sculpture linked to a live multiplayer virtual world at Frieze London from Oct. 14 to 18. The project, titled “Feral Metaverse (Spider), 2026,” asks visitors to work together physically and online, and was co-commissioned and co-produced with Forma in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, according to Google’s Oct. 6 announcement.
The work connects a soft, spider-shaped sculpture with a shared digital environment. Visitors are invited to help one another climb onto the structure; once there, they can enter the multiplayer game, where participants move and collaborate in a virtual space. Google describes the experience as moving between the physical booth and the screen, with players expected to watch one another, exchange advice and learn together.
Triantafyllidis works across video games, live simulations, performances and physical installations. Google says the award enabled him to expand the project team to include sculptors, fabricators, textile designers, game developers and civil engineers. The exhibition is scheduled to take place at Frieze London in The Regent’s Park.
Google also says the team used Gemini during development to produce sketches, character designs, backdrops and 3D renders that informed the game’s appearance. The announcement describes the AI system as a tool and collaborator in the workflow; it does not specify which outputs were retained or how much of the final work was generated with AI.
A Sculpture Built Around Cooperation
The project makes cooperation part of the artwork’s format, rather than simply a theme represented on a screen. Visitors must help each other climb the structure, then take part in a shared game that depends on observation and communication. That design links the physical encounter with the online one and gives audiences a role in how the work unfolds.
The announcement also offers a concrete example of an art project combining sculpture, game design and generative AI. Google says Gemini contributed to visual development, while the wider team included specialists in fabrication and engineering. The source does not claim that AI made the finished artwork independently; it places the tool within a broader collaborative process.
interactive sculpture climbing frame
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From Award to Regent’s Park
The Frieze Artist Award supports artists at pivotal points in their careers as they develop ambitious new work, according to Google’s announcement. Triantafyllidis was named the 2026 recipient, and “Feral Metaverse (Spider)” is the project he is bringing to the fair. The commission is co-produced with Forma and made in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture.
Triantafyllidis has used games and simulations alongside physical installations and performance to create what the announcement calls playful worlds that explore complex phenomena. For this commission, the spider connects the two settings: a tangible structure visitors can touch and climb, and a multiplayer environment in which participants form temporary collective bodies. The presentation is listed for Oct. 14–18, 2026, at Frieze London in The Regent’s Park.
““Spiders are the original engineers.””
— Theo Triantafyllidis, as quoted in Google’s announcement
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Details of the Visitor Experience
Google’s announcement does not give practical details such as how many visitors can participate at once, whether visitors need to book a session, or whether there are age, accessibility or safety requirements for climbing the sculpture. It also does not describe the game’s controls, hardware or duration.
The extent of Gemini’s contribution is not specified beyond the listed design materials. The announcement does not identify which sketches or renders appeared in the final experience, or whether the system was used for any other part of production. Those details remain unconfirmed in the source.
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The Work Opens October 14
“Feral Metaverse (Spider, 2026)” is scheduled to be on view at Frieze London from Oct. 14 through Oct. 18 in The Regent’s Park. Google Arts & Culture says it has further material about how the work was made. More information about public access and participation may become available through the fair or the project’s organizers; the Oct. 6 announcement does not provide those arrangements.
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Key Questions
Who created the giant spider artwork?
Theo Triantafyllidis, an Athens-based artist and recipient of the 2026 Frieze Artist Award, created “Feral Metaverse (Spider, 2026).”
What can visitors do with the spider sculpture?
Visitors are invited to help one another climb the sculpture. The experience then connects to a live multiplayer game in a shared digital environment.
When and where will the work be shown?
The work is scheduled for Frieze London in The Regent’s Park, Oct. 14–18, 2026.
How was Gemini used in the project?
Google says the team used Gemini to help generate sketches, character designs, backdrops and 3D renders during development. The announcement does not detail which outputs were used in the final work.
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