Art Show "Fine Print" by Ana María Caballero & aurèce vettier at Load Gallery in Barcelona

From September 19 to October 19 Barcelona's innovative Load Gallery will present Fine Print an exhibition that explores the evolution of poetic expression in the art world. This event coincides with the lively Manifesta season and resonates with the spirit of Europe’s Nomadic Biennial which promotes positive change through artistic practices. The exhibition showcases works from two Lumen Prize finalists Ana María Caballero and aurèce vettier highlighting the intricate relationship between meaning and value in spoken word and visual art.

Poetry recognized as one of the oldest forms of literature and art has often found itself marginalized within artistic circles. However emerging web3 initiatives like the theVERSEverse gallery co-founded by Ana María Caballero are revitalizing poetry's presence pushing it to the forefront of innovative expression. This movement transforms poetry beyond traditional formats manifesting as paintings performances drawings and AI-generated sculptures. Initially rooted in personal experiences it aspires to convey universal themes to a broader audience.

The exhibition places a strong emphasis on memories and dreams—those subtle elements that shape our experiences—through the works of both artists. By leveraging collective intelligence from their audience and artificial intelligence they reinterpret their original datasets of poetry and imagery into new forms of understanding. This results in a socially-engaged exploration that transcends conventional genre boundaries and fosters creative dialogue.

Ana María Caballero is an accomplished literary artist with numerous accolades including being a finalist for three projects in the latest Lumen Prize—a remarkable achievement. She made history as the first woman to win Colombia’s José Manuel Arango National Poetry Prize and is also notable for being the first living poet to have a poem auctioned at Sotheby’s. A dedicated advocate for contemporary poetry she actively participates in educational initiatives worldwide.

In the Fine Print exhibition she will unveil four distinct projects: Fifty Ways of Looking at a Poem Paperwork Literal Litoral and Ultrasonido (Ultrasound).

Fifty Ways of Looking at a Poem investigates the dynamic interaction between writers and their audiences. This project highlights how readers breathe life into literature through their interpretations. For this work Ana María invited fifty participants to read and annotate the same poem Another Airport Poem capturing their reflections through handwritten notes. Load Gallery will feature five digital editions from this series while the physical pieces are displayed at the Vigo Contemporary Art Museum (MARCO) in Vigo Spain. Each digital edition is collectible and includes signed prints of Another Airport Poem inviting collectors to contribute their annotations and engage creatively with the collection. Additionally two performance videos from this project will be showcased at Load for the first time.

Literal Litoral is a groundbreaking project by Ana María Caballero that beautifully intertwines various artistic mediums including performance spoken-word poetry choreography photography and blockchain technology. This innovative approach redefines how poetry can be experienced in the digital age emphasizing the rich traditions of spoken word and oral storytelling.

In this project Caballero presents her poems Waiting Room and Mammal through dynamic movement exploring the relationship between physical expression and verbal communication. 

Waiting Room which premiered at Art Dubai 2024 via Gazelli Art House draws inspiration from her award-winning book Mammal. The narrative intricately examines the complexities of caretaking encapsulated in the Spanish phrase “You Me Ours.” This phrase reflects the speaker's deep emotional connections and intentions. The structured nature of Waiting Room invites audiences to reflect on the delicate balance between self-care and the responsibilities of caring for others.

Mammal not only serves as the title of her new book but also functions as a performative piece that incorporates photography by Luis Gaspar. Notably this work features an inscription of its text onto the Bitcoin blockchain highlighting the intersection of art and technology while ensuring its provenance in a digital format.

Paperwork consists of digital paper sculptures generated through performance and AI inspired by Ana María Caballero’s spoken-word poetry and her personal emotional responses. For this exhibition she will present physical sculptures for the first time. Two pieces owned by the artist—“momento” (Paperwork 87) and “transmute” (Paperwork 97)—have been transformed into three-dimensional works further exploring the expressive potential of paper. Each sculpture comes with a special collector’s set that includes videos documenting their creation process.

The exhibition also features the work of aurèce vettier representing the artistic vision of Paul Mouginot one of the few artists actively engaged in developing his own algorithms and networks. The alias itself generated by an algorithm symbolizes the artist's commitment to a collaborative open and hybrid approach that merges tactile mediums such as sculpture painting and textiles. His creations fluidly traverse the realms of web3 and physical reality enriching narratives with personal reflections.

In this exhibition he will showcase six pieces from his project “le travail des rêves” alongside poems from "we are the trees" among other works.

In "le travail des rêves" vettier translates dreams into a series of 100 AI-generated low-resolution images which are then transformed into oil paintings for Bright Moments Paris. Each piece challenges the boundaries between human and AI creativity inviting viewers to connect with their own memories.

His artistic methodology intertwines intimate meticulously curated data with advanced algorithms projecting them into the physical world through artisanal techniques like painting bronze sculpture and tapestry. Since 2018 Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have been central to vettier’s practice enabling him to envision an imaginative landscape filled with nearly impossible forms. In late 2021 he began utilizing CLIP+GAN models to generate images based on text prompts further expanding his creative possibilities.

To create "le travail des rêves" the artist first assembled a dataset—a significant collection of photographs taken on his phone each holding personal significance. This dataset was then used to train a text-to-image CLIP+GAN model that produced visuals inspired by real dreams he experienced. The resulting images were painted onto canvas honoring the sensuality of traditional mediums and bringing these dreams to life.

Collectors will have the opportunity to acquire both the digital artworks from "le travail des rêves" and their corresponding physical oil paintings.

Additionally aurèce will present a series of five poems as part of the theVERSEverse project. Each poem begins with the line: “we are the trees” and all are inscribed on the blockchain available for purchase.

Opening Days:

September 19 - October 19 2024

Thursday-Saturday

Opening Hours:

16.00-21.00

About the 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. Load aims to redefine how media art and NFTs can be exhibited distributed and managed as well as how they can be shown alongside physical art to create a coherent narrative.

Load is founded by Alex Simorrè — 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.

For more information please contact Load Gallery at:

[email protected]

Host or Publisher Julia Gimus