Type:
Country:
Venue:
Categories:
Exhibition Type:

Load Gallery is proud to present Neo Botanica – An Atlas of Artificially Generated Flora, an exhibition based on the eponymous book and augmented reality project by Vetro Editions, curated by Luca Bendandi and Freya Marshall.
Released by Vetro Editions, Neo Botanica: An Atlas of Artificially Generated Flora serves as a modern florilegium that delves into the intersections of art, nature, and technology. The artists featured in this exhibition utilize AI, CGI, 3D modeling, and programming to envision unexplored botanical landscapes, which include flowers that have gone extinct, never-before-seen hybrids, and plant forms shaped by algorithmic possibilities. This book represents an innovative publishing endeavor that transforms into an interactive exhibition through augmented reality.
The Neo Botanica book showcases the works of 32 contemporary artists and collectives, including Refik Anadol, Andrés Reisinger, Anna Ridler, Ivona Tau, Monica Rizzolli, Entangled Others, among others. The Load Gallery will exhibit works from 29 of these artists, making it one of the gallery's most ambitious and thought-provoking exhibitions to date.
Refik Anadol has a notable history with Barcelona, having made headlines as the first artist to create a mapping projection for Casa Batlló in 2022. At the Load Gallery, he will present The Large Nature Model (LNM), recognized as the world's first open-source generative AI model focused on nature. A specific segment of this model, LNM: Flora, examines millions of floral images. It celebrates the intelligent biological processes found in plant life, employing natural color schemes and AI-generated visuals to reveal hidden structures and patterns within nature. LNM: Flora emphasizes the vital role of conservation in maintaining our planet's health.
The Lisbon-based duo Entangled Others, comprising Sofia Crespo (Argentina) and Feileacan McCormick (Norway), presents a series inspired by the natural elements that embellish the Palau de la Música Catalana. These works were created for the Palau's 2023-2024 artistic season and serve as a tribute to architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner on the centenary of his passing.
Throughout history, plants have represented beauty, delicacy, and renewal. In Neo Botanica, this symbolism evolves as we confront our future on an increasingly warm planet. The exploration of botany and digital technology within the book encourages viewers to contemplate the balance between nature and innovation. The artworks challenge us to reconsider our connection with the natural world while inspiring reflections on how technology can contribute to healing rather than destruction.
“This exhibition both excites and intimidates me. Curating such an impressive group of 29 artists feels almost surreal; it’s akin to working on an institutional level rather than within a typical gallery framework – it’s a significant challenge. Nevertheless, I am eager to share this project with the public and see the interplay between digital and physical elements come alive.”
- Alex Simorrè, Founder of Load gallery.
Opening Days:
February 6 - March 8, 2025
Thursday-Saturday
Opening Hours:
16.00-21.00
For more information please contact Load Gallery at:
visit@load-gallery.com
Curator :
Artist:
- Refik Anadol
- Tatsuru Arai
- Luca Bogoni
- Andrea Brewster
- Andee Collard
- Zach Darren Corzine
- Mauro Cosenza
- Linda Dounia
- Stephan Duquesnoy
- Elekktronaut (Bileam Tschepe)
- Entangled Others
- Katherine Frazer
- Hannes Hummel
- Hypereikon
- Joann
- Markos Kay
- Jim Linear
- David Lisser
- Generative Art Studio
- Phenomena Labs
- Andréa Philippon
- Anna Ridler
- Monica Rizzolli
- Nat Sarkissian
- Drake Smith
- Leonardo Solaas
- Spacefiller (Alex Miller)
- Ivona Tau
- aurèce vettier
Vetro Editions
Vetro Editions is a Berlin-based publishing house, which in recent years has been positioning itself as a leading reference point in the field of generative art, and digital art more broadly. 2023 saw the publication of Tracing the Line, focusing on the use of pen plotters and custom-made drawing machines in art. It features the work of more than 100 international artists, and is the second volume in the A.R.E series: books that use augmented reality to fuse the digital dimension of generative art with the physical form of a book. Vetro’s catalogue also features artists’ books and editions; among them Matt DesLauriers’ Meridian, Nature/Code/Drawing by Hiromasa Fukaji and Junichiro Horikawa, and Pathways by Julien Gachadoat. Published in 2024 was Right Click Save, a physical anthology of essays, interviews, and roundtable discussions from the leading online magazine for digital art. It documents a new community of creators and collectors, and is the definitive portrait of a global movement at the moment when digital art went mainstream.
Alex Simorrè
Alex Simorrè is a tech entrepreneur, CEO and founder of Artbox, a company that has brought creative light, sound and LED solutions to the next level. With numerous bespoke projects under his belt, including the first in France curved LED screen 32x6 meters, over 5m pixels and entire LED-enhanced bowling, Alex brings over 19 years of deep experience and his precursor’s spirit to the art world through his latest initiative, the Load gallery. Situated in Barcelona’s Poblenou area, it is a venue to showcase physical and digital art, and a supporting ecosystem to exhibit, distribute and manage digital artworks, including NFTs. Alex is based between Paris, where Artbox has headquarters, a lab and a showroom, and Barcelona.
Load gallery
Located in Barcelona’s creative Poblenou district, the Load Gallery is the latest arrival to the city art scene. Thanks to bespoke next-generation screens and an elaborate sound system, it brings digital art to life, showing the most ambitious artworks by internationally acclaimed artists. The Load Gallery aims to redefine how media art and NFTs can be exhibited, distributed and managed and how they can be shown alongside physical art to create a coherent narrative. The gallery has a total of 9 screens, 5 are located at the front, and there is a smaller room that features 4 equal round screens. This room is thought of as a sandbox for the artists to push the envelope and try things they haven’t done before to create an immersive experience for the viewer by adding physical objects.
Load's debut in Barcelona marks an important development in the city's efforts to establish itself as a leader in digital culture. Barcelona is already home to the Loop art fair and festival, OFFF, Sonar D+, and other initiatives centred on media art and digital culture. Load complements these events with a dedicated space for showcasing digital artworks with the sophistication they merit. Load offers collectors a full-chain solution: its sister company Artbox designs, manufactures and install screens, boxes for streaming and other hardware, while Load proprietary software makes managing and distributing digital art easy and intuitive.
Carrer Llull, 134, 08005
Barcelona, Spain
- 171 reads