To commemorate the 20th anniversary of ISE and the 200th anniversary of Passeig de Gràcia, one of the major avenues in Barcelona and home to Casa Batlló, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) is sponsoring a projection mapping on the façade of the iconic Gaudí building. Following Refik Anadol's mappings in 2022 and 2023, Casa Batlló has once again invited a renowned digital artist to transform the building into a canvas for technology-driven art. The chosen artist, Sofia Crespo, is a pioneer in exploring organic life and its evolution through Artificial Intelligence. Co-founder of Entangled Others Studio, Sofia is best known for her work with neural networks and machine learning, along with her huge interest in biology-inspired technologies. Her work, including Neural Zoo and Artificial Remnants, explores the potential of AI in artistic practice and its ability to reshape our understandings of creativity.
Crespo's creations have been shown across the world, including a month-long takeover of Times Square last May during which digital works were displayed across 96 billboards. She has also been part of the Meta AI Artist in Residence programme, in collaboration with Meta Open Arts, during which she created Critically Extant, a project exploring the limits of available data as a means of engaging with critically endangered species. "The great challenge has been to convey Gaudí's inspirations in a façade with a lot of personality and intricate details," said Crespo. "I wanted to capture how he worked and thought, including the materials, the symbology, and his more spiritual dimension. It has been a fascinating project because it combines art and technology, the cultural legacy of Barcelona, and a creator whose work remains alive and is constantly reinterpreted by artists."
Crespo's mapping at Casa Batlló will take place on Jan. 27 (first session: 9:00 p.m. local time, last session: 10:30 p.m.) and Jan. 28 (first session: 7:00 p.m. local time, last session: 10:30) and will be also live-streamed on the Casa Batlló website. The music for the performance, created by Robert M. Thomas, a renowned generative composer, features local performers such as organist Juan de la Rubia and the string quartet Cosmos Quartet. The collaboration extends to the Palau de la Música Catalana and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, showcasing a unique blend of art, technology, and scientific collaboration. Events on both days can be attended free of charge.
Crespo will also be presenting a Keynote speech at the ISE Show Floor Stage in Hall 4, situated at the rear of the Content Production and Distribution Technology Zone. In the address she will explore the Casa Batlló projection and the creative, technological and production methodologies that were able to create and deliver the project in a short space of time. The Keynote will take place at 13:15 on 1 February. In addition, ISE attendees that were not able to get to the Casa Batlló for the performance will be able to view the digital art in its entirety on the ISE Creative Cube, a 6m x 2m LED four screen monoliths, powered by Lang, that will be situated in close proximity to the ISE Show Floor Stage in Hall 4. The screening will run throughout the duration of ISE 2024.
