ArtFutura 2006
Data Aesthetics
October 26 – 29 / Mercat de las Flors, Barcelona
CircuitoFutura: Granada, León, Madrid, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife, Vigo, Vitoria
Realities:United . United Visual Artists . Ted Price . Masaya Matsuura . Ryota Kuwakubo . Andrew Vande Moere . Jan Edler . Tommy Pallotta
Under the title “Data Aesthetics,” the festival explores areas such as data visualization, media architecture that integrates data flows into urban spaces, and the introduction of information representation dynamics into performance spaces.
Andrew Vande Moere, editor of Information Aesthetics, the leading blog on the Internet dedicated to exploring the science and art of dynamic information representation, offers an exciting journey through the world of data landscapes.
Among the notable guests of ArtFutura 2006 is the German architecture studio Realities:United, specialized in creating large architectural interventions that transform an entire building into a massive data screen..
Also noteworthy is the British design collective UVA (United Visual Artists), known for their light and data stage designs for major groups like Massive Attack and U2. UVA presents at EstaciónFutura (for the first time in Spain) a live audiovisual performance that utilizes large LED screens.
The digital animation section of ArtFutura, for its part, presents productions that reimagine and rework the boundaries between 3D, real imagery, and traditional animation techniques. The legendary animation studios Aardman visit the festival for the first time to discuss their first production made entirely by computer.
Aardman Animations is renowned for its pioneering work in stop-motion animation and clay animation. Founded in 1972 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, the studio gained international acclaim for its innovative storytelling and distinctive visual style.
Aardman has received numerous awards for its contributions to animation, including several Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Annie Awards.
Alongside them, and as one of the highlights of ArtFutura 2006, comes the highly anticipated “A Scanner Darkly,” an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick, in which director Richard Linklater elevates the technique of rotoscoping to new levels of sophistication. The project is presented by Tommy Palotta, the film’s producer.
“A Scanner Darkly” employs a unique rotoscoping technique, which involves animating over live-action footage to create a visually striking, dreamlike aesthetic.
Set in a dystopian future where an undercover cop, Bob Arctor (played by Keanu Reeves), becomes addicted to a powerful drug called Substance D, the story explores themes of identity, surveillance, and the impact of addiction on society.
With a talented cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Winona Ryder, A Scanner Darkly stands out for its thought-provoking narrative and innovative animation style, offering a surreal commentary on the nature of reality and consciousness.
The animation was executed using a software called Rotoshop, developed specifically for the project. This software enabled the animators to manipulate the animated visuals easily, allowing for a range of artistic effects that contributed to the film’s unique look.
The dreamlike quality of the animation blurs the lines between reality and hallucination, deepening the narrative’s themes of duality and fragmentation, and demonstrating Richard Linklater’s innovative approach to storytelling in animated cinema.
Dedicated to the most experimental digital leisure, the last afternoon of the festival brings together prominent figures from the video game world with digital artists once again. ArtFutura 2006 showcases the work of designers such as Masaya Matsuura and artist Ryota Kuwakubo, who, in their playful projects, deconstruct all the conventions of classic game language to create surprising interactive toys.
In today’s information society, data sets have become increasingly complex in terms of size, data dimensionality, and time dependence. In fact, the current complexity of data is astonishing, and our ability to gather data is growing faster than our ability to analyze it.
Andrew Vande Moere
Hace años que diferentes teóricos de los nuevos medios empezaron a forjar la idea de que la próxima forma cultural en ascendencia -sucesora de la novela y del largometraje- sería la base de datos.
La dotaríamos de sentido a través del diseño de interfaces eficaces, y practicando el “data mining”, la búsqueda de relaciones entre datos específicos que hagan emerger de la masa patrones de significado muy fuertes, que revelen realidades que permanecían escondidas en su interior.
José Luis de Vicente
