United Visual Artists (Matt Clark)
Beyond the Façade
JANUARY 31-MAY 17, 2026, CASA BATLLÓ, BARCELONA
+ABOUT BEYOND THE FAÇADE
United Visual Artists have created the first exhibition in the new contemporary space of Casa Batlló. The work of UVA, a multidisciplinary London-based studio founded by Matt Clark in 2003, encompasses moving images, audiovisual environments, installations, printed works, and kinetic sculptures.
+LIGHT AND DARKNESS
This presentation expands on the ideas and processes that inspired United Visual Artists' ephemeral and experiential projection mapping on Gaudí's iconic building.
The exhibition is structured between day and night, light and darkness. This cyclical concept reflects the transition of light and the movement of the sun, as well as broader arcs like the cycle of life and death. UVA was drawn not only to the physical patterns found in nature but also explored the emotional and spiritual. It is an approach that touches on Gaudí's own research and his representation of the hidden order of the natural world, along with a belief in divine geometry.
United Visual Artists collaborated with artisans, designers, and cutting-edge technicians. Beyond the the Façade is partly a tribute to Gaudí and, in turn, a deeply complex expression of contemporary creativity. The exhibition was inspired by a rare statement from the architect: "The straight line belongs to man, and the curved line belongs to God." This quote reflects an interest not only in the underlying systems of nature but also in the human invention of language, numbers, and shapes. As Clark notes, "They are all abstractions of reality. They are technologies that help us navigate a universe far more complex than we can fully comprehend."
+SAVE THE DATE
Beyond the Façade can be seen from January 31 to May 17 (either along with the visit to Casa Batlló or separately) on the 2nd floor, during the monument's regular opening hours..
+TRAILER
+SNAPSHOTS #1
+SNAPSHOTS #2
—Gaudí once said that the straight line belongs to man and the curve to God. He believed that nature is governed by deeper geometric principles. As an artist, I have always been drawn to the hidden systems beneath the surface: those structures that silently shape the world around us.
MATT CLARK
+MEET THE ARTIST
United Visual Artists
Reality and perception as a source of experimentation
United Visual Artists (UVA) is a London-based studio founded and directed by British artist Matt Clark since 2003. Their practice integrates new technologies with traditional media such as sculpture, performance, and site-specific installations, resulting in works understood more as events in time rather than material objects, where light, sound, and movement unfold experientially.
Drawing inspiration from sources ranging from ancient philosophy to theoretical science, United Visual Artists explores the cultural frameworks and natural phenomena that shape our perception and cognition. Their projects investigate how we experience reality, manipulating perception and revealing the relative nature of our experiences.
United Visual Artists' work has been commissioned and presented by internationally renowned institutions such as the Royal Academy of Arts, the Serpentine Gallery, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Barbican, the Manchester International Festival, and the Sydney Biennale, among others.
Their work is part of collections such as the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain and MONA, and it evolves through an intense collaborative practice with artists, choreographers, scientists, musicians (like Massive Attack or James Blake), and creators from various disciplines, a philosophy that was especially reflected in their retrospective exhibition "UVA: Synchronicity" (2023).
+CREDITS
Matt Clark
Concept and Direction
Daniel J. Thibaut
Music Composer
Fukiko Takase
Coreography and Dance
Jon Skerritt
Design and Programming
Adam Heslop
Design and Programming
Alyssa Mello
MOCAP Technician
Chris Cornish
3D Scanning
Vincent de Belleval Productions
Kinetic Sculptures
+ CASA BATLLÓ CONTEMPORARY
+IN COLLABORATION WITH
+WITH THE SUPPORT OF