Sanctum Carnis

Sanctum Carnis (Sanctuary of Flesh)
Robot-assisted cotton yarn embroidery based on AI-generated image with digital artwork token
8.86 x 5.77 feet
270 x 176 cm

In Sanctum Carnis, Richard Nadler constructs a monumental homage to the art of Wagyu: a sanctuary of flesh where reverence, craft, consumption, and contemporary technology converge.

The work pays tribute to the obsessive precision and deep-rooted respect found in Japanese breeding and butchery traditions. Each marbled fold and intricate texture of the meat is rendered with near-religious devotion, transforming the butcher’s table into an altar of craftsmanship. The sacred flesh is then almost ritualistically consumed by eager patrons willing to pay a premium for the experience - a dynamic mirrored in art market.

Created with the aid of a custom-trained AI model and brought into physical form through robotic embroidery, the piece treats the subject of tradition precisely through innovation. Nadler’s fascination with the structure and marbling of Wagyu beef becomes a meditative exploration of pattern, repetition, and ritual. The result is a modern icon of the sacred and the sensual.

Sanctum Carnis encourages viewers to contemplate and reflect upon the complex relationship between nature, culture, consumption, and machine.