Andy Gracie wins the Randa Art|Science Residency

Ars Electronica x Institut Ramon Llull x Hac Te x NewArtFoundation

We are thrilled to announce the Randa Art|Science Residency, which is organized by the Institut Ramon Llull and hosted by Ars Electronica and the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), in collaboration with the new hub of Art, Science, and Technology from Barcelona, Hac Te, and the NewArtFoundation. As Pere Almeda, the Director of Institut Ramon Llull states, “The Randa Residency project is the flagship initiative of our brand-new residencies program. It is very important for Institut Ramon Llull to partner with top institutions like Ars Electronica in order to fulfill our mission.”

“The ‘Ars Combinatoria’ generative and permutative ideas of medieval writer and philosopher Ramon Llull have been acknowledged as key precursors of Computer Science thought and a clever example and source of inspiration for Art and Science interconnections. The Randa Art|Science Residency name pays tribute to the cave in the mountain on Mallorca Island where Llull had the illuminations that pushed him to develop his remarkable and distinctive method of thinking and experimenting based in interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue through a universally valid system of symbols” describes Pau Alsina, professor at Open University of Catalonia and co-director of Hac Te.

“The practice of art and science has been part of Ars Electronica’s genetic code since its inception, and this partnership aims to erase the distinctions between these two “cultures” and cultivate a new culture where imaginative minds from both art and science fields converge to address the challenges posed by the climate crisis,” says Christl Baur, Head of the Ars Electronica Festival.

We are pleased to announce that Andy Gracie (UK/ES) has been selected as the winner of the Randa Art|Science Residency. Gracie’s project, Massive Binaries, draws from the notion of extracting information and knowledge from the processes of merging and collision, specifically focusing on gravitational waves and particle accelerators and their applications to cosmology.

Zoila Babot, Head of Communications of BIST states “We are very excited to host Andy Gracie at one of the BIST Community research centres, the Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), which is devoted to theoretical and experimental high energy physics research. We think that both the dialogues during the creation process and the final art piece will be very enriching for our scientific community and for the public.”

As director of the NewArtFoundation and partner in the program, Vicente Matallana focuses on the role “The NewArtFoundation plays in the development of the Randa Residency, extending beyond the production of the artwork. It is responsible for preserving the artwork in its facilities and making it accessible to curators and researchers, promoting its diffusion through exhibition programs. This ensures that the artwork is preserved, creating a legacy for future generations.”

Astrid Rousse, Executive Manager of Hac Te, affirms that “Randa Residency is a great example of a symmetrical collaboration between arts and science, and it proves the interest of cross-disciplinary projects shared from the different communities. This program reaffirms the role of Hac Te in building bridges between individuals and institutions from different fields with the common aim of generating new ways of expression and knowledge”, as BIST and the NewArtFoundation are partners in the hub.

We would like to provide some insight into the selection process of the winning artist. The call for the Randa Art|Science Residency was a closed call, and four renowned advisors with an expert in media arts were asked to nominate artists from Catalonia. From the pool of nominees, the consortium of partners carefully selected ten artists and invited them to submit a project proposal. We were thrilled to receive seven submissions, each one showcasing an inspiring combination of art and science.
After a thorough evaluation process, the winning project was selected in a jury meeting. We are proud to announce that the decision was made unanimously by the project partners, including the scientific partner. The proposal by Andy Gracie captivated us with its innovative approach to addressing climate challenges through art and science.

As part of the residency, Andy Gracie will receive a €20,000 fee and production budget to develop and produce the work. The partners recognize and thank all submitters by compensating them for their time and efforts with €300 for creating their submission.

We are thrilled to have Andy Gracie on board and look forward to seeing the outcome of this exciting collaboration. We are confident that his project will be a significant contribution to the dialogue between art and science and address some of the challenges posed by the climate crisis.