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Athens-based artist Theo Triantafyllidis, winner of the 2026 Frieze Artist Award, has created a climbable spider sculpture paired with a live multiplayer game. The work, titled “Feral Metaverse (Spider), 2026,” is scheduled to be shown at Frieze London from Oct. 14 to 18.
Athens-based artist Theo Triantafyllidis will bring a climbable spider sculpture and connected multiplayer game to Frieze London this month, pairing a physical installation with a shared digital world. The work, “Feral Metaverse (Spider), 2026,” is the project he developed as the recipient of the 2026 Frieze Artist Award, and is due to be on view in Regent’s Park from Oct. 14 to 18.
The installation is designed for visitors to climb the spider-shaped structure and help one another get aboard. Once on its legs, participants can enter a live multiplayer game set in a digital environment called the Feral Metaverse. Google’s announcement describes the experience as one in which players collaborate, move together and form temporary collective bodies.
The project combines sculpture, textiles, game design and engineering. Google said the award enabled Triantafyllidis to expand the team working on it, including sculptors, fabricators, textile designers, game developers and civil engineers. The artist’s gallery, The Breeder in Athens, is credited alongside him in the materials accompanying the project.
Google also said the team used its Gemini AI system during development to generate sketches, character designs, backdrops and 3D renders. The company described Gemini as a tool and collaborator in the workflow. The announcement does not say that AI generated the finished sculpture or game independently; it presents the outputs as material shaped by the project team.
The work asks visitors to interact with both a physical object and an online environment, making cooperation part of the artwork’s format, rather than treating the game as a separate screen-based experience. Participants are expected to watch one another, share advice and learn how to take part together, according to Google’s description.
That setup also makes the project a public demonstration of how an art commission can bring together digital play, physical making and audience participation. The use of Gemini adds an AI element to the production process, but the source describes it as one tool in a broader, multidisciplinary effort. It does not provide an independent assessment of the system’s contribution or the finished work’s reception.
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The Award Behind the Installation
The Frieze Artist Award supports artists at pivotal points in their careers as they create ambitious new work, according to the announcement. The 2026 commission was co-commissioned and co-produced with Forma, in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture. Triantafyllidis works across video games, live simulations, performances and physical installations, using constructed worlds to explore complex subjects.
The spider is the central figure in this commission. Google’s account says Triantafyllidis described spiders as “the original engineers.” The project presents the creature as both imposing and inviting: the structure may look intimidating from a distance, while its softness is intended to encourage visitors to touch and climb it. The installation is listed for Frieze London in Regent’s Park, running Oct. 14–18, 2026.
““Spiders are the original engineers.””
— Theo Triantafyllidis, as quoted in Google’s announcement
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Details Awaiting the Fair
The announcement does not specify how many visitors can climb at once, how long a game session lasts, or what equipment participants will use to enter the digital environment. It also gives no technical details about the game’s multiplayer setup or how the physical booth and screens will be arranged.
Google’s account describes the team’s use of Gemini but does not detail which specific outputs were retained, how they were revised, or how much of the final visual design came from AI-assisted material. The source also does not include an independent evaluation of the experience or reactions from visitors; those will only be available after the installation opens.
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Opening at Frieze London
“Feral Metaverse (Spider), 2026” is scheduled to be on display at Frieze London in Regent’s Park from Oct. 14 through Oct. 18. Visitors will be able to see the sculpture and, according to Google, take part in the connected multiplayer experience. Further practical details about access and participation may be provided by the organizers closer to or during the fair.
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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)” with a multidisciplinary team.
What can visitors do with the installation?
Visitors are encouraged to help one another climb the spider sculpture. The experience then connects to a live multiplayer game in the Feral Metaverse, where players collaborate.
When and where will it be shown?
The work is scheduled for Frieze London in Regent’s Park, Oct. 14–18, 2026.
How was Gemini used in the project?
Google says the team used Gemini to generate sketches, character designs, backdrops and 3D renders during development. The announcement does not detail how those materials changed before appearing in the finished work.
Source: rss
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