A la llum de les idees [In the Light of Ideas] provides a contemporary outlook on the figure of the mystic and visionary Ramon Llull and the parallelisms between his work and modern science 700 years after his death.

In his intense inquiry to interpret the laws of nature and the world, Llull paradoxically combines mysticism and logic, theology and science. His profound desire to understand the world beyond the human realm cannot be grasped without exploring the dynamics of the tumultuous period he lived in. His elaborate mysticism emerged during the multidimensional late Middle Ages, in a world disrupted by the tensions between territories and cultures. And while he expresses himself within the insufficiency of the conventional Christian system, he draws on the confluence of all the knowledge of his time – from Arab-Islamic science to Sufi mysticism and Kabbalist techniques, which were widespread. In this way, Llull takes up the challenge of reinterpreting the codes for the creation of his Art, a personal model for contemplation and understanding.

In the Light of Ideas explores Llull’s endeavor to discover the “truth”, which is projected and accompanies the history of ideas throughout the following centuries. An exhibition and a broad program of activities invite visitors to enter into a dialogue between Llull’s conception of the universe and the monumental appreciation created by the artist Ryoichi Kurokawa. The audiovisual installation unfold, presented for the first time in Spain, gathers together visitors for a synesthetic experience of some of the most extraordinary phenomena discovered by modern astrophysics and cosmology.

Kurokawa puts together a visual experience that transports the spectator into the depths of the universe, delving into some of the most recent research on the structure of matter and the formation of the universe. unfold takes into account the processes of interaction in the cosmos and places the spectator directly under the vault of the heavens. The artist joins together sound, vision and vibration in the exhibition hall to create an abstract expression of the primordial shaping of the universe. Figuratively, the piece supports the Llullian proposal of a new astronomical order, which cannot be accessed through a particular perception but through the understanding of a broad spectrum of deducible mechanisms that, on different scales, point to the indivisible unity formed by perception and logic.

Curator:
Mónica Bello & Andy Gracie

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

- The centerpiece of the exhibition, the project unfold, by Ryoichi Kurokawa, will remain off the days and hours when there are scheduled activities:
October 21, November 11, 17 and 18, December 1 and 2: from 16:30h to 21h

unfold was co-commissioned and co-produced by FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology); Stereolux and Salford University; with the support of CEA Irfu, Paris-Saclay (Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission / Institute of Research into the Fundamental Laws of the Universe), Arcadi and DICRéAM (Device for the Creation of Digital and Multimedia Art).

Concept, direction, composition, programming, design: Ryoichi Kurokawa

Programming: Hiroshi Matoba


Scientific Advisor: Vincent Minier, astrophysicist at CEA Irfu, Paris-Saclay

Scientific Datasets: CEA (Herschel HOBYS, COAST, Frédéric Bournaud, Sacha Brun, Pascal Tremblin, Patrick Hennebelle, Rémi Hosseini-Kazeroni), ESA, NASA, BLAST Experiment, SuperCOSMOS H-alpha Survey

Producer: Nicolas Wierinck (White Circle)

Produced by Studio Ryoichi Kurokawa.