ABOUT L.E.V. MATADERO 2022: A FOUR-DAY IMMERSION IN VISUAL ELECTRONIC MUSIC AND EXTENDED REALITIES
From 22 to 25 September, L.E.V. Matadero held its fourth edition at Matadero Madrid, center of contemporary creations belonging to Madrid City Council’s Department of Culture. The Festival of Visual Electronic Music and Extended Realities, organised by Matadero Madrid together with Cineteca Madrid and Medialab in Matadero, and curated by the Datatron platform, presented over four days a groundbreaking selection of experimental projects in the fields of electronic music, audiovisual creation and digital art.
Within the programme, structured around different types of activities, live concerts and audiovisual performances in Nave 16 and Plaza Matadero stood out, showcasing national and international artists such as the acclaimed German composer Alva Noto, the multi-awarded Japanese artist Daito Manabe, the unstoppable Catalan composer Marina Herlop, the duo of Canadian producers Sinjin Hawke and Zora Jones and the unpredictable and visionary ATOM™, among many others.
The Vortex (VRTX) section, made up of virtual reality artistic experiences, has established itself as another essential part of the festival’s programme. With all slots sold out, this year it brought together six unique pieces by some of the most relevant creators in the field of immersive art on a global scale: Kevin Mack, Kexin Hao, Barry Gene Murphy & May Abdalla, Meuko! Meuko! & NAXS Corp, Anna Pompermaier, and Archer’s Mark & Atlas V studios.
Within the Augmented City section, L.E.V. Matadero presented two augmented reality experiences. On the one hand, with the support of the Institut Français in Paris, (Un)related to God by the musician and producer Apollo Noir and the filmmaker and designer Thomas Pons on the Cineteca stage, and on the other, the interactive mural Livelyyy by the animation director and illustrator Guillaumit, which will remain until January in the Placita de Matadero Madrid, with free access.
As a new addition in this fourth edition, MAD (Madrid Artes Digitales), immersive experience centre located in Nave 16 of Matadero, joined the list of festival venues by hosting the large-format audiovisual installation Turmoil of Vehemence by Synspecies, a duo formed by Elías Merino and Tadej Droljc.
In addition, within the framework of L.E.V. Matadero, the exhibition Metaverses: realities in transition opened in Nave 0, bringing together, until 29 January, a series of virtual environments created by and for artists, inviting the public to reflect on this new reality that is increasingly present in our lives and its potential as a creative territory. The exhibition is supported by the Taiwanese Ministry of Culture, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Spain and the Austrian Cultural Forum, and is part of the RIT (Realities in Transition) project, co-funded by the European Union.
The programme of this fourth edition of the festival was completed with the sound walk Madrid Concrete by Clara Brea, artist selected in the Open Call for Women in Electronic Music of the Matadero Artistic Residency Centre in 2021, and the programme Sounds of Immersion, carried out in collaboration with Medialab Matadero and consisting of a sound workshop for immersive environments and a series of presentations by artists involved in the festival.
L.E.V. Matadero
Festival of Visual Electronic Music and Extended Realities
September 22-25, 2022
Matadero Madrid
Organised by: Matadero Madrid with Cineteca Madrid and Medialab Matadero
Curated by: Datatron / L.E.V.
In collaboration with: MAD Madrid Artes Digitales
Supported by: Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and Economic and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Spain, Institut Français in Paris, Japan Foundation, Austrian Cultural Forum, Embassy of Canada in Spain, Québec Office in Barcelona, Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Madrid, La Salve
Financed by the European Union-NextGenerationEU, through the Public Aid subsidy for the promotion of the video game sector and other forms of digital creation within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the Ministry of Culture.
Associated media: Radio 3, NEO 2, Clot Magazine
Visual identity: Zach Lieberman
