Albert Barqué-Duran, Lleida, 1989, & Marc Marzenit, Barcelona, 1983.
Albert Barqué-Duran & Marc Marzenit
Albert Barqué-Duran, PhD, is an artist and researcher. Professor of Creative Technologies and Digital Art at the University of Lleida and Honorary Research Fellow at City, University of London.
Albert obtained his PhD and postdoctoral degree in cognitive sciences at City, University of London, and has been a visiting postgraduate researcher at Harvard University and the University of Oxford. His artworks and performances are inspired by his research and combine new media art techniques, AI, computational creativity, data, experimental electronic music, and classical fine arts methods such as oil painting and sculpture, to reflect on universal themes, knowledge, digital culture, and futures. He leads disruptive projects at the intersection of art, science, and technology with the aims of: finding new formats for generating artistic and scientific knowledge; reflecting on contemporary and futuristic themes and their cultural implications; and creating powerful experiences to push the limits of human perception. Considered one of the 64 “Cultural Activists” in Europe during 2019 by We Are Europe, and internationally awarded with the “Re:Humanism Award”, the “We Are Equals – MUTEK Music Academy”, the “Art of Neuroscience Award” and the “International City of Lleida Award”, Albert has exhibited and performed at Sónar+D (Barcelona), Ars Electronica (Linz), ZKM (Karlsruhe), Creative Reactions (London), Cricoteka (Krakow), Albumarte (Rome), SciArt Center New York, IGNITE Fest (Medellín), Mobile World Congress (Barcelona), and Ming Contemporary Art Museum (Shanghai), among others. Marc Marzenit is an audio engineer, composer, music producer and DJ with many years of experience touring worldwide. He has performed in places such as London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Argentina, Mexico, Australia, Canada and Asia, to name just a few. In addition to his profile as an underground musician, he also created shows such as “Suite on Clouds”, a 3D mapping performance featuring 8 violinists, 1 harp, symphonic percussion, synthesizers and a grand piano. These projects are based on his classical training and showcase his integrated vision of electronic music: combining acoustic, analogue and digital instruments within the same performance. He is currently a lecturer in “Music and Sound for Interactive Experiences” at ENTI – University of Barcelona; and the founder of Aulart. https://www.instagram.com/marcmarzenit/ https://twitter.com/marcmarzenit Work in the collection: Vestibular_1 https://albertbarque.com https://www.instagram.com/albertbarque/ https://twitter.com/AlbertBarque
Vestibular_1
VESTIBULAR_1 is an immersive audiovisual installation that invites the public to walk inside a structure of the vestibular system. Specifically, the installation induces illusory sensations of self-motion by temporarily altering the audience’s vestibular functioning through specific patterns and configurations of audio and light stimuli.
Any organism moving through its environment receives a constant flow of sensory signals about self-motion: optical flow input from vision, proprioceptive information about body position from muscles, joints and tendons, and acceleration signals via the vestibular system. The latter appears to be particularly important for self-motion (Green & Angelaki, 2010). Under normal circumstances, the brain optimally combines sensory signals related to self-motion, successfully integrating them to produce a coherent representation of the organism within the external environment. However, conflicts between sensory modalities can arise when signals provide discrepant information. If the vestibular system is altered by conflicting sensory input, we readily notice that the usual way we perceive objects of human expression, such as visual forms, music and art, changes dramatically (Gallagher, M., Dowsett, R., & Ferrè, E.R., 2019). The VESTIBULAR_1 installation is based on innovative research from the VeME (Vestibular Multisensory Embodiment) Lab at Royal Holloway, University of London, which investigates the role of vestibular signals in the perception and representation of the body and the external world, and how this affects aesthetic preferences. Co-producer: .BEEP { collection;} – NewArtFoundation. Technological partner: Protopixel Technological collaborators: Sfëar – Eurecat. Silentsystem. In collaboration with: Elisa Ferrè (Vestibular Multisensory Lab – Royal Holloway, University of London), https://vemerhul1.wixsite.com/vemerhul.