In a dimly lit bedroom, a nude figure with frazzled hair lies motionless beneath sickly colored linens. Their fingertips, glowing an unnatural, inflamed red, clutch a navy-blue smartphone. Staring catatonically at the screen, the character is completely enveloped by a vibrant infinity symbol that emerges from the device in endless loops of hypnotic energy.
This all-too-relatable portrait serves as a striking window into our contemporary anxieties. It is part of a provocative suite of new works by Brooklyn-based artist Robin F. Williams, capturing the omnipotent techno-dystopia that contemporary society seems to be collectively barreling toward. Extrapolating on the increasingly complex ways humanity and machines merge, the artist presents a mystical, unsettling vision of another world—one heavily infused with the touchstones of modern pop culture and classical art history.
Presented by P·P·O·W gallery, the body of work forms a powerful exhibition titled Act Natural, currently on view as a pop-up at Frieze’s No. 9 Cork Street in London. Running through October 24, the exhibition dives headfirst into the uncanny without neatly settling into a reassuring resolution. The slick, frictionless digital landscapes and digital-age subjects portrayed by Williams exude both the irresistible allure of modern technology and the immense, creeping horror it quietly elicits from its users.
Among the standout pieces in the exhibition is "The Merminator" (2026), a 60-by-40-inch oil on linen that cleverly fuses two iconic pop-culture characters from the 1980s: a relentless cyborg assassin and a classic Disney princess. The resulting image depicts a metallic bot perched precariously on a stone. Much like Hans Christian Andersen’s original mermaid or her cinematic counterpart Ariel, the mechanical hybrid peers toward a world it presumably longs to be a part of, yet remains fundamentally disconnected from and incapable of acceptance within. It is a sharp visual metaphor for alienation in an era mediated by synthetic identities and digital barriers.
Another striking canvas, "I Am Not a Robot" (2026)—measuring 48 by 48 inches and created using acrylic and oil on canvas—takes direct compositional and chromatic cues from the spiritualist abstractions of Hilma af Klint. At the same time, the piece draws heavily from Sandro Botticelli’s Renaissance masterpiece Madonna of the Pomegranate, which famously employs the titular fruit as a visual metaphor for the human heart and divine love. In Williams’s contemporary iteration, however, the human heart is replaced by the smartphone. The device radiates an artificial glow outward, taking the place of the traditional, life-giving source and subverting sacred iconography into a commentary on modern devotion.
The exhibition’s thematic scope expands further through pieces like "Holy Thirst Trap" (2026), a 42-by-30-inch oil on linen depicting a trio of blue figures huddled closely together to drink from a shared glass, and "Language Model" (2026), a 60-by-54-inch oil on canvas featuring a nude figure on a beach kneeling with an arched back against a dramatic red and purple palette. Works like "Spooky Action at a Distance" (2026) and the detailed exploration seen in "Infinite Scroll" (2026) continue to probe these themes, blending classical figurative painting techniques with the jarring, fluorescent visual language of the internet age.
Through Act Natural, Williams bridges historical artistic traditions with the hyper-modern realities of algorithmic existence. By reframing religious tableaus, mythical archetypes, and historical portraiture through the lens of screen addiction, artificial intelligence, and digital isolation, the Brooklyn-based artist offers viewers a chance to confront the technological systems that quietly dictate daily life.
Art enthusiasts and collectors in London have the opportunity to view Act Natural at P·P·O·W’s pop-up space at No. 9 Cork Street through October 24. Those unable to attend in person can explore additional works and installation views through Robin F. Williams’s official website and her active presence on Instagram.
