As the Data Analytics & Visualization Group of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), we have been promoting the synergy between science, technology, and art for more than 10 years through our Art+Science Driven Innovation line.
Art and science, two apparently distinct disciplines with little in common, have always been in dialogue. Throughout history, art has been conditioned by available knowledge and technology at the time of its creation. Conversely, science and technology have drawn inspiration for innovative research from artistic exploration and engaging a broader audience.
At BSC we recognize the potential of this interdisciplinary approach, which is why we have exploited the power of supercomputers and the freedom of artistic exploration to create knowledge and value exhibiting many of these efforts in previous editions of Sonar+D, such as We know what you did last Sonar in 2015 and Explain, a chat in a box in 2023.
Last year, we took our approach to the next level, joining the S+T+ARTS AIR project as a host hub. S+T+ARTS is an initiative of the European Commission, launched to support collaborations between artists, scientists, engineers, and researchers to produce new knowledge and advance science while at the same time exploring them from an artistic point of view. We are working with artists in residence, developing projects on the multifaceted nature of AIR. With Maria Arnal, Filippo Nassetti, and Richard Vijgen, we are exploring the invisible elements that surround us, a space of interaction and the basis of our ecosystem.
This spring, we will be showcasing work in progress on this collaboration at Sonar+D. From the 13th to 15th of June at the Fira Montjuïc, artists and scientists will be participating in the festival, showing the advances of the projects and ready to discuss new ideas.
We invite you to learn more about these projects in our booth and share in a talk on Thursday at 18:30 hrs. in Lounge + D.
Works in progress, we continue to explore
Impossible larynx, in collaboration with Maria Arnal, aims to develop an AI-music tool capable of stretching the physical limits of a human singing voice. The project integrates voice processing models and a 3D visualization of the vocal tract that responds in real time to an external voice input. This artistic and scientific collaboration fosters innovative approaches on creating and exploring AI music tools for creativity and voice awareness.
Breathing Architecture, in collaboration with Filippo Nassetti, focuses on experimenting with high-performance computing techniques for modeling, simulating, and visualizing the human respiratory system. New ways of visualizing synthetic respiratory architectures with a biomimetic approach might inform innovative applications for product design and the built environment.
Electric Atmospheres, in collaboration with Richard Vijgen, looks into the invisible landscapes created by the electromagnetic waves emitted by devices citizens carry with them every day, like smartphones. Relying on the computational power at BSC, the idea is to simulate the interaction of a smartphone with its environment, such as the architecture of a city.
