Elias Merino y Sergio Millán: Heterotopies

8 - 25 July Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituto

Heterotopies is the first collaborative project by Elías Merino y Sergio Millán: a three-dimensional interactive installation which portrays an abstract space conformed by generative colossal audiovisual structures based on raw and unpolished aesthetics, in which the user will navigate through with a gamepad.

In Heterotopies, both visuals and music are subjected to an artificial intelligence’s computer vision system, which analyses and interprets any activity from the internet browser. AI uses shapes, color and movement to map and create the appearance, colour and texture of the three-dimensional sonic and visual topologies.

The result is an experience of infinite potential realities. A synthetic audiovisual space for refugees from the real world.

Elías Merino

Elías Merino (b. 1985) is a Spanish composer, sonic artist, researcher, and multidisciplinary practitioner. His projects include installation, composition, and live performance that Elías develops under different monikers. From algorithmic abstract computer music, to contemporary experimental electronics, and instrumental music. He creates different works which involve time-perspective shifting, otherness, fractured narratives, immersive contemplation, states of bewilderment, and the overwhelming uncanny. He also ties his practice with different approaches related with speculative futures and fiction, post-digital materiality, object-oriented composition, and Posthumanities. Combining his personal activity, he is involved in collaborative projects. Elías is one half of the audiovisual duo SYNSPECIES.

His work has been exhibited and performed across the US, UK, Spain, France, Japan, Czech Republic, South America, Romania, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Taiwan, Sweden, Poland, Finland or The Netherlands. He has performed in festivals and venues such Philharmonie de Paris (NEMO BIennale), L.E.V. Festival, Semibreve, Cafe OTO, Lunchmeat Festival, HCMF (Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival), La Casa Encendida, Sonica Glasgow, MNAC – National Museum of Contemporary Art Rumania, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, or MCARS among others. His recorded albums have been released in different labels including Room40, Superpang or leerraum among others.

Sergio Millán

Sergio Millan is a graphic designer by default, DIY guerrilla fighter, synth developer, and occasionally visual artist. Coming from an interaction design background, he has spent the last years researching different approaches in visual creative coding with various programming languages: from interactive glitch applications, to videogame engines, or GLSL Shaders.

He is a founder member of T37, a hackspace that hosts synth DIY workshops in Madrid. As a collective, they design DIY Eurorack module kits for workshops. They have given workshops in Madrid, Barcelona, London and Berlin.

Sergio has taken part in several installation works with Jae Ho Youn at Galeria Labyrinth (Poland), with Guillem Bayo and Luix Bot in Automaticas at MedialabPrado (Spain), and lately with Elías Merino working in their recent project Heterotopies, to name a few.

Supported by:

With the collaboration of: