Music is at the frontier of the development and use of Artificial Intelligence in 2024. This June,AI & Music powered by S+T+ARTS debuts at Sónar, with a transversal programme of performances, talks, forums, workshops, and exhibits exploring the links between AI and musical creativity and performance. All activities take place within Sónar by Day and Sónar+D, and with one exception, are open to the general public at Sónar by Day.SonarHall features three genre-defying performances, headlined by Sevdaliza’s AI-enhanced, forward-thinking and physical live show on Thursday. On Friday the same stage hosts innovative UK producer Lee Gamble’s concept show ‘Models’, co-produced with Krakow’s Unsound festival. Based on his most recent album for Hyperdub, it rejects the norm for electronic live shows with a performance choreographed by Candela Capitán. Earlie on the same day, Rob Clouth performs an entirely improvised algorithmic audiovisual set. On the seven screens of Stage+D, Chilean artistNicole L’Huillierdelivers an AV lecture explaining how she’s connecting AI with her work in playful, innovative ways. Radical performance artist Myriam Bleau will also explore how she’s integrating AI into her practice, with a special talk ahead of her collaborative show ‘Second Self’ with Nien Tzu Weng.
Both of these activities take place on Thursday, as does visual artist Marta Verde’s masterclass, which explores the randomness of AI-generated work. Beforehand, Sónar+D ticket holders can hear how artists, technologists, and researchers are revolutionising the music-making process in the forum ‘We are the Music Makers’*. On Saturday, experience the results of Peter Kirn and Cibelle Cavalli Bastos’s AI PerformancePlayground with a special collaborative showcase conceived during a two-day intensive hacklab on Thursday and Friday.Those looking to get hands-on can head to Project Area, with a special section of the interactive exhibition area dedicated entirely to AI & Music projects, or take part in one of our ‘Tardes de Prompting’. Join Stability AIand level up your music and audio prompting skills, or learn how to get the most out of AI-generated visuals with Krea.ai and Boldtron.
If you're a regular at Sónar, you’ve likely already witnessed the full force of a The Chemical Brothers live show. But... what if you could go inside one of their famed sets? Imagine being surrounded by their iconic robots... or finding yourself side-by-side with their 3D dancers.This May, you’ll be able to do just that at 'Music:Response', the 360º audiovisual installation created by The Chemical Brothers and their longtime visual collaborators Smith & Lyall.‘Music:Response' premieres at THE CUBE, a brand new collaboration between Sónar and Casa Batlló. A 360° audiovisual space located within the basement of the iconic Gaudi building In the centre of Barcelona, it brings together electronic music and digital art. ‘Music:Response’ will be the first installation at THE CUBE, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the visual world that Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall have developed working with Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands - better known as The Chemical Brothers - since 1994. The installation also features an exclusive soundtrack, with the duo’s biggest hits reworked to accompany visual works that have been specially designed for THE CUBE.The installation will be open to the public from 24th May until 31st July. You can purchase tickets here. In addition, Smith & Lyall will appear at Sónar+D on Friday 14th June. They’ll be in conversation at SonarÀgora for a moderated talk 'Music:Response' - Inside the creative visual universe of The Chemical Brothers live show’, where they’ll reveal some of the secrets behind their work.
