Presented in the newly restored second floor exhibition space, the show transforms Gaudí’s iconic house into an immersive environment where light, movement, sound and architecture converge. Conceived specifically for Casa Batlló Contemporary, Beyond the Façade explores the invisible systems that shape both nature and human experience, expanding Gaudí’s legacy through contemporary artistic languages.
Founded and led by artist Matt Clark, UVA is internationally recognised for creating large-scale installations that merge technology, sculpture, performance and spatial perception. For Casa Batlló, the collective developed an exhibition that unfolds as a sensory journey, where visitors move between darkness and light, rhythm and stillness, chaos and order.
At the heart of the exhibition is Seven Suns, a site-specific kinetic installation composed of rotating mirrored discs that reflect and distort the surrounding space. Alongside it, the exhibition includes deconstructed elements from UVA’s projection mapping Hidden Order, spatial sound compositions and immersive audiovisual environments that extend the experience beyond the façade and into the interior of the house.
The opening of Beyond the Façade also marks the official launch of Casa Batlló Contemporary, a long-term artistic programme dedicated to fostering dialogue between art, architecture, technology and culture. Rooted in Gaudí’s radical spirit of experimentation, the initiative commissions and presents contemporary works that challenge traditional boundaries and create new ways of engaging with heritage.
The inauguration coincided with the presentation of Hidden Order, UVA’s large-scale mapping projected onto the façade of Casa Batlló during the first weekend of February. The audiovisual performance transformed the building into a living system of light and movement, reinforcing Casa Batlló Mapping as one of the leading public digital art events in Europe.
Casa Batlló Contemporary, a new book
Expanding on this inaugural season, Casa Batlló Contemporary has launched its first eponymous publication. The book documents the program’s evolution through the works of Refik Anadol, Sofia Crespo, Quayola, and United Visual Artists, combining specially commissioned essays, artist interviews, and visual documentation of the mappings and exhibitions.
More than a catalog, this publication reflects Casa Batlló Contemporary’s vision of heritage as a living and constantly evolving platform—a space where Gaudí’s imagination continues to inspire contemporary artists across diverse disciplines and generations.