Yolanda Ceballos, Cristóbal Gracia, Julieta Gil, Janet40, Francisco Regalado, Andrew Roberts, SANGREE

In this occasion, the gallery turned into an augmented reality app, where an exhibition of digital sculptures – of which the starting point was the photographic registry of physical objects - took place. The user had the opportunity of exploring the pieces in different scales and dispositions, collectively or individually. The multi-specific site works presented were produced specially for this show, and do not exist physically.

During the first half of 2020, the use of digital media to visit museums, galleries and artists’ studios increased exponentially. The appearance of online showrooms and other kinds of platforms allow the visibility of physical objects in diverse geographic locations. With our proposal, we sought to create moments where the digital and the physical merge in a symbiotic relationship, through the viewer/user, asa theater play that can only exist when being executed.

Three-dimensional scanning in the cultural field has been used, essentially, to preserve historic heritage from possible damage and destruction product of wars, natural disasters, pollution, vandalism, etc. We believe that facing the current situation, one of the questions that should be asked is: why is the consideration of “heritage” kept for cultural production from the past, while contemporary art seems to lack value to be preserved?

This format of work questions the concept of “originality” inside the production of the works of art and its narrow relationship with the capacity of reproduction and alteration of the same object. It explores the homology between the human and digital gesture, through the participation of the viewer / user and the app as a performatic device. In moments where all seems to indicate that the dwell times within an exhibition will be much more controlled and limited, we presented an option to play with contemplation, time, and life of a work of art.

This project was developed by LAAA, a lab that focuses in the development and production of works of art for contemporary artists as well as in the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. Combining new technologies and traditional craftmanship, Laboratorio de Arte, Arqueología y Arquitectura develops physical and digital tools to accomplish each project’s vision.