Digital Revolution press release - Barbican

For immediate release: 29 October 2013
Digital Revolution:
An immersive exhibition of art, design, film, music and videogames
Barbican Centre, London, UK
3 July – 14 September 2014
Media View, Wednesday 2 July 2014, 10am –1pm
Digital Revolution explores and celebrates the transformation of the arts through digital
technology since the 1970s. The exhibition brings together for the first time a range of artists,
filmmakers, architects, designers, musicians and game developers pushing the boundaries of
their fields using digital media. It also looks to the future considering the impact of creative
coding, DIY culture, digital communities and the creative possibilities offered by technologies
including augmented reality, artificial intelligence, wearable technologies and 3-D printing.
The exhibition includes new commissions from artists Umbrellium (Usman Haque and Nitipak
'Dot' Samsen); Universal Everything; global music artist and entrepreneur will.i.am; and a
collaboration with Google in the form of digital art installations called DevArt, pushing the
possibilities of coding as a creative art form, featuring four new gallery commissions, an
online inspiration hub and a competition for undiscovered creative coders. It also presents
work by Oscar-winning VFX Supervisor Paul Franklin and his team at Double Negative for
Christopher Nolan’s groundbreaking film Inception; artists and performers including Rafael
Lozano-Hemmer, Chris Milk, Aaron Koblin, Fred Deakin & Company, Amon Tobin and Philip
Glass and game developers such as Harmonix Music Systems (Dance Central).
Digital Revolution comprises immersive and interactive art works alongside exhibition-based
displays. Usman Haque and Nitipak 'Dot' Samsen from Umbrellium, known for their largescale
mass-participatory outdoor events will produce their first work within a theatre setting.
This immersive experience takes over The Pit, filling the space with a series of magical
interactive laser sculptures, set within an otherworldly sound environment.
Universal Everything, one of the UK's leading media art studios, will produce a piece for the
Barbican’s Silk Street entrance. Taking digital drawing as its theme, visitors will be able to
contribute the work both in the venue and online. Film-maker and artist Chris Milk’s major
interactive work The Treachery of Sanctuary is presented for the first time in the UK. This
three-screen shadow play installation explores life, death and rebirth through a moving
onscreen narrative which visitors can interact with. Also a UK premiere, Electricity Comes
from Other Planets by Fred & Company (Fred Deakin), invites people to jam with each other
in a playful audio-visual piece that creates new musical arrangements through their
movements.
Neil McConnon, Head of Barbican International Enterprises and project commissioner said:
Showcasing a new generation of artists, designers, film-makers and musicians, Digital
Revolution celebrates creatives who are pushing artistic boundaries across the arts using
digital media. Through a series of gallery-based work and public interventions the exhibition
will transform the Barbican into an animated canvas - inspiring digital natives, gamers, movie
fans, retro geeks, family groups and art fans alike.
Digital Revolution is the most comprehensive presentation of digital creativity ever to be
staged in the UK. A festival-style exhibition, Digital Revolution takes place across the Barbican
with ticketed and non-ticketed elements, and will include an offsite commission. It is
accompanied by a talks and events programme and a dedicated catalogue.
The exhibition builds on the Barbican’s rich history of championing pioneering artists across
all art forms that use digital technology within their work – including Merce Cunningham,
Robert Lepage Brian Eno, Aphex Twin and Rain Room by Random International.
…/…

It is the focus of a series of events presented by the Barbican throughout the spring and
summer of 2014 that focuses on artists using digital media. Projects include a new Curve
commission by United Visual Artists, theatre projects Kiss & Cry by Charleroi Danses and Zero
Point by Darren Johnston; Tim & Barry present Just Jam; the Barbican Weekender explores
art and technology and the tenth Wikimania conference is presented in association with the
Centre.
The seven exhibition spaces within the Curve gallery opens by juxtaposing 100 creative
software projects from the 1970s to the present day, shown on their original hardware
platforms. Showcasing work across art, design, music and film the interactive Digital
Archaeology section creates an overview of key creative moments during this period of rapid
change. Pieces range from the classic videogame Pong, the first website by Tim Berners-Lee,
vintage music hardware such as the Linn LM-1 drum machine (used in the production of The
Human League’s Don’t You Want Me) as well as early digital graphics experiments by John
Whitney. It moves into The Games We Play, which focuses on the ways in which we are able
to engage and interact with digital projects, featuring works by artists Cuppetelli and
Mendoza, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Daniel Rozin as well as playable videogames by
Harmonix Music Systems (Rock Band and Dance Central).
We Create explores projects that allow people to become the creators. A highlight of this
section is Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin’s crowd-sourced tribute website, the Johnny Cash
Project, which allows people to contribute a frame to an online filmic tribute to Cash. It also
explores; DIY culture through projects developed using the programmable Raspberry Pi,
Arduino and MaKey MaKey platforms; and online video communities such as Minecraft
(Mojang) and the Kickstarter project Broken Age (Double Fine) where fans are being involved
directly in the game development process.
Creative Spaces examines how digital technology is allowing rapid creative change in film,
contrasting blockbuster Hollywood visual effects with the work of a new generation of
independent film-makers. It explores the innovative visual effects created by Oscar-winning
VFX Supervisor Paul Franklin and his team at Double Negative for Christopher Nolan’s
groundbreaking science fiction film Inception. London’s Double Negative is one of the
world’s leading VFX houses with recent and current projects including Man of Steel, Dark
Knight Rises, Rush, Thor 2, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Godzilla and Christopher Nolan’s
forthcoming film Interstellar. It also features Oscar-winning visual effects studio Framestore,
with a particular focus on their innovative digital effects and the work of Tim Webber.
Framestore’s recent and upcoming film work includes Gravity, 47 Ronin, The Secret Life of
Walter Mitty and Inside Llewyn Davis. In addition it features the work of young digital filmmakers
such as Kibwe Tavares (Factory Fifteen), who has used his experience as an
architecture graduate to make the innovative short films Robots of Brixton and Jonah. This
section also explores interactive film by artists such as Field's Energy Flow.
Sound and Vision looks at how musicians have experimented with digital technology. Pieces
include a new commission by global music artist and entrepreneur will.i.am which explores
the interface between analogue and digital music in a live gallery experience. will.i.am is wellknown
as a technology advocate and enthusiast. He served as Guest Editor of Wired
Magazine earlier this year, is a founding investor in Beats Electronics, and launched his i.am+
mobile phone accessory company in 2012. Through his i.am.angel foundation, will.i.am
encourages young people to study and engage with STEAM (science, technology,
engineering, arts and mathematics). He also supports The Prince’s Trust by funding
programmes designed to help young people build computer skills. The section also features
Arcade Fire's interactive video Wilderness Downtown; Amon Tobin's Isam stage set which
comes alive with digital projection; and a series of app-based projects in which artists have
worked to visualise music, including the app REWORK_ (Philip Glass Remixed) by Scott Snibbe
Studio.
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The next section is dedicated to DevArt, a collaboration between Google and the Barbican.
DevArt is a celebration of art made with code, designed to inspire the next generation of
developers and artists by reframing coding as a creative art form. It seeks to push the
boundaries of what is possible when art and technology collide.
Finally, the exhibition delves into what the future might look like; the phenomena of 3-D
printing, featuring the work of fashion designer Ying Gao; digital fashion for performance,
including London-based XO Studio; 3-D virtual reality gaming technology; the Oculus Rift
Development Kit and wearable technologies including the BrainWriter (Not Impossible Labs)
and Google Glass.
As visitors journey through the Barbican foyers they will discover the Indie Games Space,
devoted to the independent videogames movement. Featuring the work of a range of
contemporary international indie developers, all in fully playable format, this section will also
showcase explorations in different games genres, game art and distribution. Games such as
Antichamber by Alexander Bruce, Proteus by Ed Key and David Kanaga and Flower by
Jenova Chen look at how an individual (or small team) can now arm themselves with the latest
creative tools to take risks and forge innovative experiences.
ENDS
Press Information
For further information, images or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Lorna Gemmell, Head of Communications
+44 (0) 207 382 7147 / lorna.gemmell@barbican.org.uk
Exhibition
The exhibition is created and produced by Barbican International Enterprises with guest
curator Conrad Bodman. The advisors are Jim Boulton (Digital Archaeology), Iain Simons
(Director, GameCity, Nottingham Trent University), Caroline Roux (design writer), Julia
Kaganskiy (Editor at Large – The Creator’s Project), Mike Stubbs (Director, FACT), Li Zhenhua
(Curator). Digital Revolution will tour to museums and galleries internationally for a period of
3 years. The exhibition design will be a collaboration between Ab Rogers (ARD) and 59
Productions. ARD will lead on the spatial design and 59 Productions will lead on the media
design of the exhibition.
Events programme
The exhibition will be complemented by a talks and events series which will include an
accompanying film programme, In Conversations examining issues such as gender, security
and technology, as well as industry focused panels looking at the latest developments in
special effects and gaming and online and off line activities aimed at children and young
people from east London.
Online programme
An online offer will accompany the exhibition, and will include a selection of specially
commissioned interviews and exhibition content. In addition Google is developing a website
that will have a source of inspiration for coders, a competition as well as behind the scenes
videos of DevArt commissions in development and interviews with artists. The DevArt site and
competition launch in February 2014.
Catalogue
An illustrated exhibition catalogue accompanies the exhibition with essays by leading authors
in the digital field. The publication explores the preservation of hardware and software,
creative coding, DIY culture, digital architecture and design, the future of gaming and the
new developments in creative technology. Contributors include essays by exhibition advisors.
…/…

Barbican projects celebrating artists using digital media in spring-summer 2014
include:
United Visual Artists (UVA): Momentum
Multi-disciplinary art and design studio United Visual Artists have been commissioned to
create a new work for The Curve. Coinciding with their 10th anniversary, UVA present
Momentum, an immersive installation that combines light, sound and movement. Drawing on
physics and digital technology, UVA are turning the Curve into a spatial instrument, installing
a sequence of pendulum-like elements throughout the 90metre long gallery to create an
evolving composition of light and sound. The pendulums – sometimes moving in unexpected
ways – project shadows and planes of light across the six metre-high walls and curved floor
of the space. Visitors are invited to explore the room at their own pace, and their movement
through the gallery shapes their individual experience. UVA are an art and design practice
based in London, creating work that lies at the intersections of sculpture, architecture, live
performance and installation. (13 February – 1 June 2014)
Just Jam
For the past three years, online music channel Just Jam has been celebrating the current
thriving electronic music scene, showcasing cutting edge talents of the UK's underground
Bass, House and Grime scenes. Tim & Barry, the photographers and film-makers behind Just
Jam, will curate an evening of live performance, video and audience participation with the
musicians and performers who have built and solidified Just Jam's reputation, including
Loefah, Chunky, Big Narstie, Newham Generals, Kurupt FM, Marawa the Amazing, and
more to be announced. Influenced by cult music TV shows like The Word and Dance Energy,
Just Jam's joy in the chaotic and improvised will ensure an unpredictable evening.
Wikimania
The tenth annual international Wikimania conference, produced in association with the
Barbican, brings together the worlds of academia, culture, technology experts and
enthusiasts and will include a multi-track programme of lectures, discussions, workshops and
hackathons over the course of four days.
Barbican Weekender
We Create: technology for self-expression
In March 2014 the Barbican Weekender returns to explore image and identity through arts
and technology. This theme is explored with a host of digital tools and activities including 3D
printing with Black County Atelier, mixing tunes with Music Jelly and the dance-based
installation Dance Spectroscopy. From music and art, to dance and fashion the free, two-day
event offers workshops and games for all ages.
Charleroi Danses: Kiss & Cry
Alone on a station platform, a woman recalls her great, lost loves. Her memories take shape
in a miniature world where toys, figurines and everyday objects have the power to delight.
Scaled-down sets provide the backdrop for a duo of dancing hands that flirt and intertwine,
becoming tender characters in their own right. This innovative and poetic performance from
prizewinning filmmaker Jaco Van Dormael and choreographer Michèle Anne De Mey, uses
digital technology and captures the most minimalist expressions of emotion and intimacy.
Caught on camera by a bustling crew with sound effects created by onstage foley artists, the
sensual ballet of hands is projected on a panoramic screen, lending dual perspectives to an
event in which artistic disciplines collide.
Darren Johnston: Zero Point
Artistic experimentation is given free rein as Darren Johnston takes up residency for a week in
the Theatre. Known for controversial, multifaceted work that blurs the boundaries between
dance, theatre and the visual arts, the British choreographer puts his innovative software
through its paces.
…/…

Using motion-sensing technology, it bathes the bodies of dancers with graphic texture and
light. Audiences are invited to share the results of his exploration; a kaleidoscope of
projections, choreographed performance and electronic soundscape from a piece presented
mid-creation.
Historypin: Barking and Dagenham 1914 – 2014
We Are What We Do
A community project focused on an area in Barking and Dagenham in east London,
Historypin will gather 100 years of history from 1914 to the present day, resulting in an indepth
online archive and a number of public events in east London. Commissioned by the
Barbican and Create London, Historypin will work with local people and both local and
national organisations, inviting participants to contribute pictures, videos, memories and
stories of the area via an online space where they can interact and immerse themselves in
local history. Community events will also take place around the area including schools,
community centres and local spaces, gathering information and using both digital tools and
live performance to explore themes including migration, industry and employment,
architecture and regeneration. Bringing together people from the community, across all
generations, and celebrating the local history, History Pin aims to provide both a greater
understanding of the area and a learning resource for all to enjoy. The project will culminate
in August 2014 with a public event. A local space will be transformed into a virtual time
machine exploring the contributions of over 5,000 materials and memories from over 2,000
people and organisations. This experience will use digital projection, audio visual
presentations and live performance to bring to life the events and stories revealed throughout
the project.
Public information
Open 11am-8pm daily (last admission 90mins before close) 11am-10pm on Thursdays
Tickets
Standard £12.50, Concessions £10.50, Young Person (12-17) & Students £8.50,
Children (5-12s) £5,Under 5’s – FREE,
School Groups £6.25 (primary groups will use the £5 price above)
Yellow Member 30% off for you and a guest; Orange Member Unlimited free entry
Red Member Unlimited free entry + guest
Booking fee £1.50 online /£2.50 telephone. Advance booking is recommended.
Timed admission is in operation. Last admission 90 mins before close.
About Barbican International Enterprises
BIE produces and tours a dynamic mix of ground-breaking contemporary art and popular
culture, architecture, design, fashion and photography exhibitions. The team develops and
tours a broad range of major international art exhibitions. Internationally touring exhibitions
include Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style, Watch Me Move: The Animation Show, Game
On, and many more. We are committed to bringing challenging and accessible exhibitions to
as wide an audience as possible, touring to some of the world's leading venues.
About the Barbican
A world-class arts and learning organisation, the Barbican pushes the boundaries of all
major art forms including dance, film, music, theatre and visual arts. Its creative learning
programme further underpins everything it does. Over 1.5 million people pass through the
Barbican’s doors annually, hundreds of artists and performers are featured, and more than
300 staff work onsite. The architecturally renowned centre opened in 1982 and comprises the
Barbican Art Gallery, a second gallery The Curve, Barbican Hall, the Barbican Theatre, the
Pit, Cinemas One, Two and Three, foyers and public spaces, a library, Lakeside Terrace, a
glasshouse conservatory, conference facilities and three restaurants. The City of London
Corporation is the founder and principal funder of the Barbican Centre.
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The Barbican is home to Resident Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra; Associate Orchestra,
BBC Symphony Orchestra; Associate Ensembles the Academy of Ancient Music and Britten
Sinfonia, and Associate Producer Serious. Our Artistic Associates include Boy Blue Entertainment,
Cheek by Jowl and Michael Clark Company. International Associates are Royal Concertgebouw
Orchestra of Amsterdam, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gewandhaus
Orchestra Leipzig and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
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